Trade Partners,

On December 2021, the European Union (EU) published new regulations under Regulation (EU) 2021/2117  for wine and aromatized wine. These new rules introduce a compulsory nutrition declaration and list of ingredients for wine products produced in the EU market beginning on December 8, 2023.

Key highlights of the new EU labelling requirements for wines:

- Physical labels must have a declaration of the energy value (calories) by using the symbol “E” based on a 100ml serving.

- Full nutrition declaration and ingredient list must be provided, but may be provided by electronic means identified on the label (such as QR code)

- If the ingredient list is provided by electronic means, the allergen declaration must continue to be prominently displayed on the physical label and prefaced by the word “Contains”

Potential conflicts with Canadian labelling requirements:

The LCBO would like to highlight potential conflicts between the new EU regulations and Canadian labelling regulations:

- Presence of European energy declaration on a label in Canada will trigger a requirement to provide a Nutrition Facts table (invalidates the exemption for NFt)

- An energy (calorie) declaration on a label in Canada must meet the Canadian requirements for energy claims

- If a nutrition facts table is presented on the label, it must be presented according to the Canadian format standards.

- The reference amount (serving size) for wine in Canada is 188mL, alternative reference amounts would not be acceptable.

- If an ingredient list is presented on the label, it must be bilingual (English and French) and meet Canadian requirements.

It is acceptable to use QR codes on labels to present the new EU-required information.

Suppliers are reminded that they are responsible for ensuring that all products supplied to the LCBO comply with all applicable Canadian laws, including the Food and Drug Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.  To ensure your business operates without interruption and/or avoid corrective labelling fees, the LCBO strongly urges suppliers to consider the impact of the EU update on the labelling of their products and develop a plan to comply to local market requirements.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Quality Assurance team at quality.assurance@lcbo.com or (416) 864-6724.