Labelling Assessment of Greek “Quality Label” Prepacked Cheeses as the Basis for a Branded Food Composition Database

Abstract

A labelling assessment study of Greek prepacked “quality label” cheeses was conducted with a view to provide an overview of the whole category. In total, 158 prepacked products belonging to 19 “quality label” cheeses were identified in the Greek market. Among them, Feta had the highest share followed by Kasseri, Graviera Kritis, Kefalograviera and Ladotyri Mitilinis with 81, 16, 15, 11 and 9 products found in the market, respectively. For the rest of the 14 cheeses, the share was limited, ranging from 1 to 4. All labelling indications, nutritional information, claims and other labelling data were recorded and analysed in relation to their compliance against European food law requirements. The results of the analysis showed that for only 6 of the 19 cheeses, all products fully complied with EU labelling legislation. Among the 14 mandatory labelling requirements, the lowest overall compliance was observed for allergens declaration (65%). The analysis of the nutritional data showed a remarkable variability between cheeses and products. Differences in the nutritional characteristics were more pronounced among soft, semi-hard, hard and whey cheese. The above data were entered into an archival database. Application of global harmonisation and standardisation guidelines and tools lead to the initialisation of a branded food composition database (BFCD), conceptualising a specialised database for “quality label” foods.

Descriptive Characteristics and Cheesemaking Technology of Greek Cheeses Not Listed in the EU Geographical Indications Registers

“…In Greece, twenty-two cheeses are registered as protected designation of origin (PDO) and one as a protected geographical indication (PGI). Their characteristics have recently been studied [4][5][6], and their quantities [7] are presented in Table 1.…”

“…Dairy 2023, 4 Their characteristics may vary due to many factors, such as environmental and specific production conditions, a lack of a standardized production process, etc. [13].…”

The Impact of Nutrition Labelling on Customer Buying Intention and Behaviours in Fast Food Operations: Some Implications for Public Health

“…Recent studies have been conducted to determine the impacts of disclosing menu item nutrition information on customers’ product assessments, purchase intentions and behaviour [ 7 , 8 ]. A recent study conducted by Aitken et al [ 9 ] on the benefits of menu labelling of organic foods suggested improving labelling to have more actionable information, such as the health, environmental and societal benefits of products.…”

Fermented foods and cardiometabolic health: Definitions, current evidence, and future perspectives

“…The same generic fermented food can have many unique formulations depending on the manufacturing source. Here, the use of branded food databases (where information on food composition is provided by manufacturers, food monitoring, and crowdsourcing) are gaining momentum and could be a valuable resource in comprehensively capturing the ingredients within branded fermented foods (106)(107)(108). Documenting the composition of fermented foods could open new research avenues for understanding how their consumption affects health and disease.…”