The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have collaborated to introduce guidance to improve standards in advertising of food in the Irish market.
The new standards are aimed at ensuring consumers are not misled by the use of marketing terms on foods. The guidance will support Section 8 of ASAI Code of Standards For Advertising and Marketing Communications in Ireland and was officially published today by the FSAI.
According to Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO, FSAI, the guidance is to ensure that food marketing terms are not used in the correct context incorrectly to mislead consumers. "Consumers have a right to be confident that the foods they purchase and eat are accurately and truthfully described on the label. Food businesses should also be confident that genuine descriptions of their food are not diluted in the marketplace by undefined marketing terms.”
The guidance outlines legal requirements that food businesses must now follow when using terms to describe their food in the marketplace most notably Artisan/Artisanal; Farmhouse; Traditional and Natural.
Orla Twomey, CEO, ASAI added: “We welcome the FSAI’s Guidance Note in this area which will provide a useful resource to the ASAI and its independent Complaints Committee when adjudicating on the use of these terms in marketing communications."
ASAI’s main objective is to ensure that all commercial marketing communications in the Irish marketplace are ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’.
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
