Which information can you find on your product?

see E numbers

Allergens are substances that can cause allergic reactions. There are 14 legally defined allergens that can be listed on a packaging: gluten-containing cereals (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats), crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, lupine, molluscs and sulphites. If these are present in a product, they will be shown in bold in the list of ingredients. So you can see at a glance whether a product is suited for you or not.

The barcode serves, among other things, to create a proper and detailed ticket. When your products are scanned at the checkout, all the necessary information appears automatically on the receipt (e.g. the product name, quantity, price, etc.). Every time the content of the packaging changes, we also change the barcode. If the list of ingredients changes or allergens are added, we place a new barcode on the packaging. This way we know exactly which products are in the shops and which product information is correct.

A batch number must be included on the packaging in order to be able to trace a product. The batch number usually consists of a number of digits and/or letters. Often the best-before date serves as the batch number.

By ‘Belgian’ we refer to products that are produced, cultivated or grown in Belgium. If products are produced, cultivated or grown in our country, but processed or packaged abroad, we also consider them to be Belgian products. In addition, we also regard a number of products that are produced in our country with the necessary expertise, such as chocolate and mayonnaise, as Belgian. These products are marked with a specific logo on our Boni Selection packaging.

The Eco-score is a handy tool that shows the ecological footprint of products in the form of a letter and colour code. It is a unique score that takes into account numerous environmental factors, such as the origin of the ingredients, the packaging, sustainability labels, etc

Want to find out more? Watch Information about the Eco-Score.

E numbers (or additives) are added substances that make the product tastier, longer-lasting or more attractive. These are always listed in the same way: first the function and then the E number in brackets, e.g. colouring agent (E161). Sweeteners are also additives. If a product contains sweeteners, we do not write the E number, but the name of the sweetener.

The packaging always contains an expiry date. As long as the packaging is not open, you can keep the product until this date.

• Best before (end) ...: you will find a year, a month and possibly also a day. Products with this indication often have a longer shelf life and can be consumed after the expiry date. The quality (colour, smell, taste) may decrease a little, but without any danger to health. It is best to just look, smell and taste to know if the product is still good.
• Use by ... : this indication is used for fresh foods that are more susceptible to deterioration and therefore have a shorter shelf life (e.g. ready-made meals, fresh dairy products, meat, fish and salads). Products with this indication spoil quickly and should definitely not be eaten or drunk after the expiry date. They can develop germs that can make you sick, even if you don't see, taste or smell anything strange.
• Shelf life when freezing: when you freeze a product yourself, the best before/use by date no longer applies. In that case, the product will have a shelf life that is longer than stated on the packaging. After defrosting, the product must be consumed immediately and must not be refrozen.
• Shelf life after opening: when a pack is opened, the shelf life also expires. The packaging usually states how long the product can be kept after opening.

With our home brand Boni Selection, we are marketing a number of gluten-free products under the “NO Gluten” line. Products are gluten-free if they contain less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. Gluten-free products are marked with a specific logo on our Boni Selection and Everyday packaging.

We interpret the term halal as vegetarian or vegan and always as alcohol-free. We work exclusively with products from animals stunned before slaughter.

Lactose-free products are products that do not contain lactose. We mention milk and traces of milk as an allergen (which almost always indicates lactose). A product may not contain more than 100 ppm (parts per million, or less than 0.01 g per 100 ml) of lactose to be called lactose-free. These products are marked with a specific logo on our Boni Selection and Everyday packaging.

The list of ingredients provides information on what the product contains. Are you looking for the main ingredient? It can easily be derived from the list of ingredients. Ingredients are listed in descending order, and often key ingredients are also listed with a %.

We consider products to be local when they are made, grown or cultivated in Belgium. (see also: Belgian)

The Nutri-Score is a nutrition label that converts the nutritional value of products into a clear letter and colour code. You can find the Nutri-Score on the packaging of all Boni Selection products. The Nutri-Score is determined by an algorithm. It takes into account both the positive points (content of fibres, proteins, vegetables, fruits and nuts) and the negative points (kilojoules, fats, saturated fatty acids, sugar and salt). The Nutri-Score is always calculated per 100 g. It therefore does not take into account the size of the serving you eat.

Want to find out more? View the information on the Nutri-Score.

The nutrition facts table provides information on the presence of energy and certain nutrients per 100 g or ml of a particular product. This compulsory label includes not only the energy value (in kilocalories (kcal) and kilojoules (kJ)) but also the amount of fat (of which saturated fatty acids), carbohydrates (of which sugars), protein and salt. We always add the amount of fibre. In addition to nutritional values per 100 g (or ml), we try to add the values per serving to the table where possible. The serving is the consumption unit or the quantity of a product recommended for daily consumption. It is expressed in grams and % RI (Reference Intake). The serving size is determined by our dietitians.

It is not always easy to read and interpret a nutrition table. That is why we also state the Nutri-Score. It allows you to compare the nutritional values of products at a glance.

Here you get information on how to prepare the dish or tips on how to use the product.

Increasingly more of our products under Boni as a sustainable private label have packaging that is made partly or completely of recycled materials. To indicate this, a special symbol was developed to explain the following: the percentage of recycled material and the type of recycled material that was used in the packaging. The layout of the symbol therefore depends on this information and may contain different text.

A more sustainable world is not achieved by everyone doing their own thing: we need to work together. With our private label products we take small and big steps every day towards improving our health, society, animal welfare and creating a better environment. Step by step. On our packaging you can see how much the product you buy contributes to this.

Here you will find information on how to store the product. For storage instructions, you will always find a reference to the expiry date.

• In the fridge or freezer: if you have to keep the product in the fridge, this will be stated on the packaging. In the case of fresh products such as cold cuts, a maximum temperature is also indicated. Frozen products also have a maximum storage temperature on the packaging.
• After opening: some products can be kept for a long time, but once opened, they spoil relatively quickly. The packaging also states how long the product can be kept after it has been opened. For example, on the fresh orange juice of Boni Selection it says: ‘Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 days’.

Vegan products do not contain meat, poultry, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, insects, dairy products, eggs, honey (beeswax) or products containing these animal products (such as gelatine, animal broths, animal extracts and flavourings, etc.). However, traces of milk, eggs, crustaceans, fish and molluscs are permitted. We consider clarified drinks (clear juices, wines, beers) and clarified vinegar to be non-vegan. These products are marked with a specific logo on our Boni Selection and Everyday packaging.

We interpret the term vegetarian according to the definition of lacto-ovo vegetarians. Vegetarian products therefore contain no meat, poultry, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or insects, nor any by-products of slaughtered animals such as rennet or gelatine. We consider clarified drinks (clear juices, wines, beers) to be non-vegetarian. Vinegar is clarified with casein and is therefore, within our definition, vegetarian. These products are marked with a specific logo on our Boni Selection and Everyday packaging.

The net weight of products must be indicated on the packaging. This weight is expressed in (kilo)grammes or, in the case of liquid foodstuffs, in litres.

• Weight symbol: on some packs you will see the letter 'e' next to the weight. This comes from the English word “estimate” and means that the actual weight of that product may be slightly higher or lower than what is written on the packaging.
• Drained weight: some products are contained in a liquid (e.g. corn, fruit cocktail, Vienna sausages...). The drained weight of those products is also specified. So you know exactly how much product is in the pack.