EuroFIR AISBL, sole beneficiary of a new EU-funded project ‘Nutritional labelling software and claims: Service, training and innovation offering to SMEs and industry [NASCENT], has awarded a tender for training to a pan-European consortium with expertise in services for SME food manufacturers.

In the last 10 years, EU food and drink exports have doubled, reaching over EUR 90 Billion and contributing to a positive balance of almost EUR 30 Billion. However, SME food manufacturers often lack the knowledge and human resources to comply with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, providing information to consumers.

Nutritional Information Solutions (NIS Nutritics) is supporting UK and Irish food manufacturers as well as authorities (e.g. Trading Standards) to ensure information on food labels is accurate and informative. The advanced cloud-based food composition database, enables food businesses to monitor recipe development and operating procedures, nutritional and allergen data, menu cost analysis and deliver EU food labelling requirements, establishing a more standardised software labelling system. Now, NIS Nutritics is expanding operations into Europe, supported by funding for a European SME Innovation Associate (Marija Ranic, formerly at the Institute for Medical Research, Republic of Serbia) through the H2020-INNOSUP-02-2016 Coordination and support action, NASCENT (launched 1st October 2017).

Marija Ranic said, “working in the EuroFIR AISBL environment with high-quality, validated national food composition data with opportunities to learn and exchange views with leading experts in different fields of food data, nutritional labelling and health claims, nutrient labelling software, business development and marketing is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.”

The tender for training will build capacity in delivery of services and tools for SME food business with expert help from Quadram Institute Bioscience (UK), Hylobates (IT), Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information (CZ), WLP (UK), Consulting Colombani (CH), Loekintofood-gcv (BE), Nutrition Consultants Cooperative (NL), Susan Church Nutrition (UK) and, of course, Nutritics (IE).

NIS Nutritics will be the first such tool to be evaluated for accreditation, under a non-prescriptive business excellence framework designed to help organisations be more competitive.

Nutritics’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer Damian O’Kelly concludes, “Nutritics are delighted to be working alongside NIS, EuroFIR and the expert consulting team to develop the new standard in database labelling services. Its implementation will provide the industry with reliable, transparent and cost-effective nutrition labelling capability, and uncover new opportunities for product development, reformulation and claims.”

Paul Finglas, Directors of EuroFIR, said, “this is an exciting opportunity for Eurofir to develop its nutritional labelling services in combination with Nutritics and other compiler members. Advances in standardisation of recipe calculations and use of software offer SMEs more timely estimates of nutrient values for labels and easier product reformulations for healthier products for consumers."