RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Food labelling in focus: a transnational analysis of chilled ready-to-eat products in the EU, the Western Balkans and Turkey
A1 Smigic, Nada
A1 Ozilgen, Sibel
A1 Gómez-López, Vicente M.
A1 Osés Gómez, Sandra María
A1 Miloradovic, Zorana
A1 Aleksic, Biljana
A1 Miocinovic, Jelena
A1 Smole Možina, Sonja
A1 Demsar, Lea
A1 Guiné, Raquel
A1 Gonçalves, João Carlos
A1 Trafialek, Joanna
A1 Czarniecka-Skubina, Ewa
A1 Blazic, Marijana
A1 Herljevic, Dora
A1 Nikolić, Aleksandra
A1 Mujčinović, Alen
A1 Barjaktarovic-Labovic, Snezana
A1 Djekic, Ilija
K1 Chilled ready-to-eat foods
K1 Food labels
K1 Secondaryshelf life
K1 Food safety
K1 Alimentos-Etiquetas
K1 Food-Labeling
AB Food contamination may occur within the complete food chain, with domestic handling and inadequate storage often contributing to foodborne illness. Therefore, accurate food safety information on packaging, including date labels and storage instructions, is essential. However, cross-national comparisons of labelling practices for chilled ready-to-eat (RTE) foods remain limited. This study examined and compared labelling practices in six European Union (EU) countries and four non-EU countries, focusing on date labels, recommended storage temperatures, and secondary shelf life. Data from 2665 food labels were collected between May and September 2023 through in-store observations and online resources. Most labels indicated either a “Use by” or “Best before” date, reflecting microbiological and quality stability. Cluster analysis identified two groups: Cluster 1, mainly from Portugal and Spain, included more stable products with “Best before” dates, whereas Cluster 2, dominated by French and Turkish labels, comprised more perishable foods with “Use by” dates. Recommended storage temperatures varied from +4 °C to +12 °C, indicating potential consumer confusion.
PB Taylor and Francis
SN 0963-7486
YR 2026
FD 2026-04
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11865
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10259/11865
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos
RD 19-jun-2026