Food consumption

Origin'Info, a new logo to inform you about the origin of processed food products

Publié le 03 juin 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

A logo, which may be blue or black, will appear from summer 2024 on the packaging of certain processed products (frozen pizzas, prepared dishes, fruit-flavored yogurts...). It will be used to indicate, among other things, the origin of the main agricultural materials used in the composition of a product. This new system will not be compulsory; it will be based on the voluntary work of industrialists.

The Origin'Info logo, whose display will be gradually deployed from this summer on processed products, can be presented in 3 formats:

  • a first with a list of the main agricultural materials of the product and their country of origin;
  • a second where an indication of the place where the product has been processed is added to the list (place represented by a small factory);
  • a third where the list is this time supplemented by a graph in the form of camembert, representing the relative share of each country in the composition of the product.

In the context of Origin’Info, the distinction between ‘ingredients’ and ‘agricultural raw materials’ must be borne in mind. Brands that have opted to join the scheme will have to indicate the origin of the primary ingredients of the product from agricultural raw materials. For example, for a dish prepared with pasta bolognaise:

  • flour is an ingredient as part of the composition of the pasta;
  • wheat is agricultural raw material which makes up this flour.

The origin of wheat, tomatoes and beef (the agricultural raw materials of the other main ingredients of bolognese pasta) will therefore be indicated on the Origin'Info label.

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Please note

Under the Origin’Info scheme, trademarks may not indicate a supranational origin (e.g. ‘European Union’), unless the number of countries of origin is 4 or more. The supranational origin indicated should then be an identifiable geographical area, for example a continent.

How will the provenance information be presented?

Brands may choose to provide information on the origin of agricultural raw materials:

  • directly on the product packaging, with the Origin'Info logo in one of the 3 sizes;
  • on the electronic label which is placed in front of the product on store shelves;
  • via a QR Code (present on the product packaging) that you will have to scan with your mobile phone;
  • on the online shopping site of the brands selling the product.

Please note

Origin'Info will initially be applied on an experimental basis. A review will be carried out in the first half of 2025 to determine whether adjustments are necessary.

For now, 82 brands have acceded to the charter of the scheme.

Reminder

An opinion issued by the National Consumer Council in September 2021 recommended strengthening the origin labeling of food products, so that this information is clearer and understandable for consumers, without misleading them (for example, when a French flag is present on a package when no ingredient in the product comes from France). A 2-month consultation phase was set up in March 2024 to establish a specification and logo for the Origin'Info scheme: different stakeholders from the agri-food sector participated, with the support of the Ministry of Companies, Tourism and Consumer Affairs.

Agenda