The Council of Ministers has approved the decree transposing the European “Breakfast” directive. The new legislation aims to improve the transparency and traceability of some widely consumed food products, such as honey, fruit juices and jams, providing consumers with more precise information on labels and thus allowing them to make more informed choices.
Let’s see exactly what changes.
What will we find on the label
For honey, it will be mandatory to indicate the countries of origin of the mixtures. In the presence of raw materials arriving from multiple countries, the label must show them in decreasing order with the relative percentages. Only in the case of mixtures coming from four countries that make up at least 60% of the product, it will not be necessary to indicate the percentages of the other countries.
The definition of “filtered honey” then changes, which will fall into the category of “Honey for industrial use”. The Ministry of Agriculture’s statement explains the change as follows:
Until today, this substance was marketed with this wording, but it could mislead those who purchased it. With the transposition of the directive, the name filtered honey falls within the broader definition of “Honey for industrial use”, more responsive to permitted use, i.e. for culinary use only.
These innovations aim to protect national production, around 24,000 tonnes per year, from low quality honey coming from non-EU countries.
As regards fruit juices, the directive introduces new categories of fruit juices with reduced sugar content:
These products will have to contain 30% less sugar than the standard version, offering consumers a clearer choice between classic and lower sugar options.
For jams, the minimum quantity of fruit per kilogram rises significantly:
It should be underlined that Italian jams already respect fruit levels higher than the minimum requirements, and the new regulation can contribute to further enhancing local products and the national fruit and vegetable sector.
When will we find the new labels on honey, juices and jams
The innovations introduced by the “Breakfast” directive will become operational starting from 14 June 2026. From that date, all new products will have to carry updated labels, indicating the countries of origin for honey, the new categories of juices with reduced sugar content and the minimum quantity of fruit in jams.
Products already on the market before this date can be sold until stocks run out, so it will be possible to find both label versions in the months following their entry into force.
