What Are Saffron Labeling Requirements?

Different marking requirements and standards are applicable to importing goods, especially saffron, to different countries. Some rules vary from country to country, while some requirements may be in common among all countries. The markets of the USA and Europe require companies to provide special labeling for their foodstuff in order to provide comprehensive information on the content and composition of food products. In this blog, we focused on the saffron or foodstuff labeling requirements in different geographical regions.

First of all, we need to discuss the differences between Principal Display Panel (PDP) and Information Panel. Each panel requires to provide specific information. Below you can see what data goes under each panel.

Principal Display Panel:

This panel is printed on the package which is most likely to be seen by the consumer. In addition to the Trademark (brand name), this panel should include the below information:

Product identity: 

The product identity must be printed in the middle of the PDP front label. The product identity should be outstanding that can be easily noticeable. Product identity includes the information about type of product, product quality, and company trademark.

Net weight:

Net weight should be mentioned in the lower 30% of this panel. Liquid products should be printed as “ml” and for solid products, the net weight must be mentioned in lbs./oz. However, some products may be sold by the count of pieces, instead of weight. The more common way to indicate Saffron product weight by Gram/gr.

Information panel:

The information panel is positioned on the back of package. The information panel includes below data:

Nutrition facts: 

The packages should contain a nutrition fact statement panel, however; some product categories are exempted by the FDA law.

Ingredient statement: 

You will find the ingredient statement below nutrition facts, placed above the manufacturer/distributor information. If the product contains spices, such as turmeric, paprika, saffron, etc. they should be mentioned as “spice and coloring” names. In case the packaging contains raw and unprocessed agriculture product, it should indicate, “100% pure (product name)” as ingredient statement,

Address information:

The business location must be indicated on the lower portion of the label. The full addressing information, including the name, street address, city, state, and zip code must be mentioned. The telephone number and website address are voluntary information.

What are saffron labeling requirements for European markets?

What are the common labeling requirements?

Nutritional information: The packaging should contain information regarding energy value, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, protein, sugar, and salt content. Other nutritional information is voluntary information that the seller can decide to contain or exclude from the list.

Indication of allergens: the list of allergen contents should be clearly mentioned. Especially, herbs and spices may have different allergens.

The real origin of the product: The packaging must contain the origin country. The producer can clearly mention the country name or simply mention “Non-EU” if it is produced out of the EU zone. In the case of saffron, the country of harvest must be indicated. 

General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-Packaged Foods indicates some detailed provision requirements for the European market:

 The name of the product “saffron” or indication of styles, if applicable, should be mentioned. In addition to that, the class or grade of the saffron must be provided.

It is worth noting that it is optional to provide inspection marks. The inspection marks provide the required information to ensure the quality of the product and different product properties, in accordance with specific parameters and standards.

The labeling requirements of non-retail packages for the European market:

Non-retail packages should contain information either on the package or accompanied by documents. The name of the product, lot identification, name and address of the manufacturer, country of origin, packer, distributor or importer, and storage instructions MUST be provided on the container.

What are saffron labeling requirements for the USA market?

Just like the European market, it is essential to provide information of country origin, by stating “Made in {name of the origin}” or “Product of {name of the origin}”, under Tariff Act of 1930. However, the Tariff Act exempts COO marking requirements for some coffee, tea, and spices.

Similar to Europe requirements, the labeling should contain information regarding ingredients and nutrition facts. The FDA rules and regulations know spices as flavoring, not for nutritional purposes.

Saffron private/white labeling services

Many factory-less manufacturers need to outsource private or white labeling services. Such manufacturers outsource their products from third parties. SunLand offers private or white labeling for many international reputable brands. Such services help producers to supply saffron without further concerns about packaging and labeling, such as required equipment and machinery, packaging environment and standards. Our company has carefully examined the marking and labeling requirements of the packages, targeted for different markets. Therefore, our expertise and creativity in the saffron industry have enabled us to provide various packaging solutions.

In order to place your private labeling order, you can easily contact us and provide your packaging requirements.