EU issues positive report on private label

A new EU report on retail trade practices takes a more positive attitude of private label than expected. The report says: "Private labels have increasingly become both vehicles for product innovation and also as a means for retailers to directly control the quality level of products and consequently its product liability obligations, which underscores the strength of their respective brands."

The EU commission says it plans to follow up on the study this fall by recommending specific measures to create "a more efficient and fairer market." According to Lebensmittel Zeitung, the new report shows a shift in attitude toward retailers and their brands. "At the end of 2009, retailers were still seen as a main culprit for problems in the food chain," the publication reported.