Ever wondered why the food you eat is so good?
With exceptionally high food safety standards, EU rules protect your health by ensuring safe food production.
So European food isn't just tasty, it's also safe!
Ever wondered why the food you eat is so good?
With exceptionally high food safety standards, EU rules protect your health by ensuring safe food production.
So European food isn't just tasty, it's also safe!
Follow Marie and her family on a day out to discover what it takes to make sure you can always trust what you eat in Europe.
Let's tuck in!
Marie is preparing for a picnic with family and friends.
At the supermarket she has to choose carefully: her daughter is allergic to nuts.
Fortunately, there are labels on the food that clearly state which allergens are present.
With all the information she needs, Marie loads her basket with ingredients to make a cake with special Spanish olive oil.
Marie is preparing for a picnic with family and friends.
At the supermarket she has to choose carefully: her daughter is allergic to nuts.
Fortunately, there are labels on the food that clearly state which allergens are present.
With all the information she needs, Marie loads her basket with ingredients to make a cake with special Spanish olive oil.
What's on food labels?
Ever wondered what that small print really means?
In the EU, food labels give you clear information what you buy. They tell you what ingredients are used, listed in descending order of quantity. They also highlight allergens, show nutrition facts, indicate the country of origin for many products, and include use-by and best-before dates and storage instructions.
This way you can buy what's best for you!
Back home, Marie mixes all the ingredients together to make the cake.
A couple of good splashes of the olive oil and she pops it in the oven.
Her friends arrive with more food and drink: a bottle of champagne, Italian ham, and Portuguese wine to fill up their picnic hamper.
Once the cake is baked, the group is ready to go!
Back home, Marie mixes all the ingredients together to make the cake.
A couple of good splashes of the olive oil and she pops it in the oven.
Her friends arrive with more food and drink: a bottle of champagne, Italian ham, and Portuguese wine to fill up their picnic hamper.
Once the cake is baked, the group is ready to go!
What do PDO and PGI mean?
The EU protects certain food and drink names through its geographical indications - for example specific olive oil or vinegar, fruits and vegetables, cheeses, spirits, and meat products.
Look out for Protected Designation of Origin - PDO and Protected Geographical Indication - PGI when you shop. These labels identify legally protected products and prove that those products come from a specific place, giving them unique characteristics, and are made in a traditional way.
That way you can be sure you are not buying a counterfeit product!
The group heads to a small farm in the countryside.
Here, a local family keeps bees for honey and raises goats for cheese, and chickens for eggs and meat.
Marie picks up some cheese and honey from the shop on the farm.
Both carry the EU's organic logo.
The group heads to a small farm in the countryside.
Here, a local family keeps bees for honey and raises goats for cheese, and chickens for eggs and meat.
Marie picks up some cheese and honey from the shop on the farm.
Both carry the EU's organic logo.
What does organic really mean?
It’s easy to spot organic products with the EU’s organic logo. It means food is produced using natural substances and processes respecting the environment, biodiversity, and animal welfare.
Organic farming follows strict rules from the field to the table. To carry the logo, final products must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
The family who run the farm set it up with financial support from the EU.
Over the years, they have received ongoing support, along with advice on organic farming and new ways to improve how they work.
The family who run the farm set it up with financial support from the EU.
Over the years, they have also received ongoing support, along with advice on organic farming and new ways to improve how they work.
How are farmers supported in the EU?
If you’re a farmer, you could receive funding from the EU’s common agricultural policy.
The EU is also actively investing in young farmers across the EU to help them turn their business ideas into reality. Certain obligations have to be met, but the benefits can be enormous!
The kids want to see the goats in the feeding pen. The goat's milk is used for cheese.
To make sure that no food goes to waste, any surplus fresh cheese, meat and eggs are distributed to a local retailer.
The kids want to see the goats in the feeding pen. The goat's milk is used for cheese.
To make sure that no food goes to waste, any surplus fresh cheese, meat and eggs are distributed to a local retailer.
What can be done to limit food waste?
The EU works to reduce food loss and waste, a major drain on our natural resources.
Food donations are one effective way of doing this.
Running a farm is hard but rewarding work.
The farmer walks into the goat pen to fill the feed trough – a daily task, whatever the weather.
The feed is organic with no chemical additives, in line with strict standards that the farm must meet.
Running a farm is hard but rewarding work.
The farmer walks into the goat pen to fill the feed trough – a daily task, whatever the weather.
The feed is organic with no chemical additives, in line with strict standards that the farm must meet.
How safe is the food in Europe?
Among the safest in the world: controlled from the field where it’s grown to the shelf where it’s sold.
And this is equally valid for all imported food and feed: to ensure the imports meet the same high standards as food produced within the EU, a strong system of official controls is in place.
The scientists at the European Food Safety Authority’s provide independent scientific advice to assess risks. EU rules allow every product to be tracked through the supply chain — so if a problem appears, it can be quickly identified and removed.
Everyone is getting hungry. The group leaves the farm and finds a spot under a large tree in the next-door field.
They spread out all their food on a blanket. It’s a feast!
Just as they are about to lie down, the kids find a large bag of marshmallows. They are overjoyed!
What are E-numbers on food labels?
E-numbers are food additives. They are added to food to keep it fresh, store safely, and to improve taste, texture and appearance.
Considered ‘other ingredients’, additives appear on labels with the name of their function such as colours, preservatives, antioxidants, stabiliser, followed by their specific name or E-number. No doubt you’ve seen citric acid, aspartame or E-330 on labels before.
In the EU, additives are strictly regulated and have been carefully assessed by experts.
Europe’s rich food heritage is shaped by diverse landscapes and generations of tradition from Lapland to the Mediterranean.
This unique mix of geography and cultures creates world-famous flavours backed by the high food safety standards.
So next time you eat out with friends, know that, thanks to the EU, you can tuck in without a worry in the world. Just like Marie!
Europe’s rich food heritage is shaped by diverse landscapes and generations of tradition from Lapland to the Mediterranean.
This unique mix of geography and cultures creates world-famous flavours backed by the high food safety standards.
So next time you eat out with friends, know that, thanks to EU, you can tuck in without a worry in the world. Just like Marie!
Hungry?
Try out a recipe from the
sensational European cookbook
Hungry?
Try out a recipe from the
sensational European cookbook