New field: Short Product Name

What is changing?

On all product specifications there will be a field under Product Name for the ‘Short Product Name’.

This should be the name of the product without brand names, pack sizes and case units.

The main product name will still include all of this information, but in the Recipe Builder solution the ingredients declaration will use the Short Product Name for any products used.

What’s an example?

If a product appears as “Meatylicious Flat Iron Steak 113gx10” in the Product Name field, it would be “Flat Iron Steak” in the Short Name field, with ingredients listed afterwards.

A long name ingredients list on a label looks like this

A short name ingredients list on a label looks like this

A long name ingredients list in Recipe Builder looks like this

A short name ingredients list in Recipe Builder looks like this

Why is this happening?

We see this as a great opportunity for Manufacturers to help their customers, and allow them to use your products more efficiently in their recipes. By making product names shorter and clearer in Recipe Builder, it makes it easier for Caterers to create labels that comply with Natasha’s Law, which comes into effect 1 October 2021.

Clearer, more legible ingredients make using the Recipe Builder easier, the effects of which trickle down to the consumer - so everyone in the supply chain benefits.

How will it affect me as a Manufacturer?

This field will initially be non-mandatory and where a short product name isn't provided the ingredients declaration will be formed from the existing field Product Name (including pack size).

For information and guidance on product names, please refer to FIC Article 17, FIC Annex VI and FIC Annex III.

Our Technical team have been working hard to provide Short Product Names for those products already in the Erudus Data Pool and you may notice that Short Product Names have been added to your specifications. If you do notice this, we ask that you check the name and if you believe there is a more accurate alternative please feel free to change it. and let us know if there is something else that would be a more accurate description of the product.

Once the field has been launched on Erudus we will continue to monitor the application of Short Product Names. As a Manufacturer it will simply make it easier for Caterers to include your products in their recipes.

When is this happening?

We are already looking into creating Short Product Names for products in the Erudus Data Pool and the field will be active on the Erudus platform and used for ingredients in the Recipe Builder tool very soon.