In 2026, food labelling is no longer a commercial communication tool, but a regulated, permanent cost that feeds directly into the price structure of food products. The expansion of European obligations regarding consumer information, ingredient traceability, and the updating of nutritional declarations is turning the label into an ongoing technical process rather than a one-off intervention.

The mechanism is both legislative and operational. Any change in recipe, supplier, or packaging requires label revision, legal validation, testing, and, in certain cases, notification to the authorities. For operators with broad product portfolios, these processes generate recurring costs related to staff, consultancy, and audits, regardless of sales volumes.

European Commission data indicate that, within the European Union, compliance costs related to labelling and consumer information can account for between 1% and 3% of the total cost of a processed food product, with higher values for products with complex formulations. EFSA reports show that the number of information requirements for food products increased steadily over the 2015–2024 period, a trend that continues under the legislative package applicable from 2026. OECD analyses confirm that these costs are fixed in nature and disproportionately affect small and medium-sized operators, who cannot dilute them through volume.

For Romania, the impact is amplified by industry fragmentation and by the frequency of portfolio changes imposed by retail. In 2026, labelling becomes an economic market-access threshold: it no longer differentiates products, but rapidly excludes operators that cannot sustain the cost of continuous compliance.

(Photo: Freepik)