European High Court Affirms Preservative Labeling on Citrus Fruits

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has reportedly affirmed a ruling
that Spanish citrus growers must label their fruits when they have used
chemicals or preservatives in post-harvest processing. Spain challenged
the European Commission’s (EC’s) power to enact the rule, arguing the
U.N. Economic Commission for Europe had set voluntary standards
only. The lower court noted that even though the EC must consider U.N.
standards, it is not required to adopt those guidelines, reasoning that the
ECJ reportedly echoed in its ruling.

Spain also argued that the rule created an unconstitutional distinction
between citrus growers and growers of other fruit, but the lower court
found that citrus fruit is often subjected to higher levels of chemical
processing and that citrus peels are used differently than the peels of
other fruits and vegetables because they are often added to food for
additional flavor. See Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2016.

Issue 596