What is the meals category? Top brands, safety considerations, EU + US labeling regimes

Sources: European Commission DG JUST + national market-surveillance authorities (Safety Gate / RAPEX) · US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) · Health Canada — Consumer Product Safety Directorate · last fetched 2026-06-05

What this category covers

The "meals" category in the ProductGuru index encompasses a wide range of consumer products related to food preparation and consumption. This includes packaged meals, meal kits, prepared foods, and other similar products. The category covers various types of meals, such as frozen meals, ready-to-eat meals, and meals that require cooking or heating.

These products are subject to various regulations and guidelines to ensure their safety and quality. The regulations cover aspects such as food safety, labeling, and packaging.

Top brands ProductGuru tracks in this category

Some of the top brands in the "meals" category that ProductGuru tracks include:

• Chef a casa
• Il Ceppo
• Fioridiprimi
• Fratelli Rossi
• Falcone
• Gastronobio
• Giovanni Rana

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and ProductGuru tracks many other brands in this category.

Key safety considerations

When it comes to meals, several key safety considerations come into play. These include:

• Food safety: Meals must be prepared and packaged in a way that prevents contamination and ensures the safety of consumers.
• Labeling: Meals must be properly labeled with information such as ingredients, nutritional content, and cooking instructions.
• Packaging: Meals must be packaged in a way that prevents leakage, contamination, and other safety hazards.
• Recall procedures: Manufacturers must have procedures in place to recall products that are found to be unsafe or non-compliant with regulations.

European Union labeling regime

The European Union has a labeling regime in place for meals, which is governed by Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. This regulation requires manufacturers to provide accurate and clear information about the ingredients, nutritional content, and allergens present in their products.

Additionally, the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, which replaces the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC), sets out general safety duties for manufacturers, including the obligation to ensure that their products are safe for consumers.

United States labeling regime

In the United States, the labeling regime for meals is governed by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990. This law requires manufacturers to provide accurate and clear information about the ingredients, nutritional content, and allergens present in their products.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for enforcing the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 USC 2051), which sets out general safety duties for manufacturers, including the obligation to ensure that their products are safe for consumers.

Canada labeling regime

In Canada, the labeling regime for meals is governed by the Food and Drugs Act and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations. These regulations require manufacturers to provide accurate and clear information about the ingredients, nutritional content, and allergens present in their products.

The Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) sets out general safety duties for manufacturers, including the obligation to ensure that their products are safe for consumers.

How to check a specific product

If you want to check the safety and compliance of a specific meal product, you can follow these steps:

• Visit the European Union's Safety Gate website (https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/) to check if the product has been reported as a safety risk.
• Visit the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's SaferProducts.gov website (https://www.saferproducts.gov/) to check if the product has been reported as a safety risk.
• Visit Health Canada's Recall and Safety Alerts website (https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php) to check if the product has been recalled or reported as a safety risk.
• Visit the ProductGuru website (https://productguru.com/) and search for the product using its EAN code (https://productguru.com/p/) or its wiki page (https://productguru.com/wiki/).

Verify on the primary regulator's register

• EU: European Commission DG JUST + national market-surveillance authorities (Safety Gate / RAPEX) — Directive 2001/95/EC (General Product Safety Directive, GPSD) — replaced by Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (General Product Safety Regulation) from 2024-12-13
• US: US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — Consumer Product Safety Act (15 USC 2051) + 16 CFR Parts 1101-1750
• Canada: Health Canada — Consumer Product Safety Directorate — Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA, S.C. 2010, c. 21)

Sample products tracked in ProductGuru

• 20308025 — product page · wiki view
• 01387544 — product page · wiki view
• 3036812100147 — product page · wiki view

Browse all products in this category (meals) →

Same category, other languages

• Deutsch →
• Français →

Disclaimer. This page indexes publicly-published regulatory data from the European Commission, EFSA, ECHA, FDA, CPSC, FCC, EPA, Health Canada, CFIA, and related authorities. It is NOT medical, dietary, or legal advice and NOT a recommendation of any specific product or brand. Regulations change — verify each claim directly with the linked primary source before acting on it. No warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose is made or implied. Affiliate disclosure (US FTC §255): some pages on this site contain eBay Partner Network links; we earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. For personal health or legal concerns, consult a licensed professional.

This page is part of ProductGuru — an index of public regulatory data on consumer products and their categories. It is not medical, dietary, or legal advice and is not a recommendation. Verify every fact at the linked primary regulator before acting on it. Affiliate disclosure (US FTC §255): pages on this site may carry eBay Partner Network links; we earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.