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Regulation

VKM 434/2018: Albania Nutrition Label Requirements

VKM 434/2018, the Albanian nutrition label under VKM Nr. 434, datë 11.7.2018 "Për etiketimin e ushqimit dhe informimin e konsumatorëve", 7 mandatory nutrients, per 100 g or 100 ml, Albanian on pack. Generate a compliant label free.

Reviewed against VKM Nr. 434, datë 11.7.2018 "Për etiketimin e ushqimit dhe informimin e konsumatorëve" · Page updated September 16, 2026

Jurisdiction
Albania (packaged food sold at retail)
Regulation
VKM Nr. 434, datë 11.7.2018 "Për etiketimin e ushqimit dhe informimin e konsumatorëve"
Effective
19 July 2020
Official source
qbz.gov.al
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Nutrition labelling requirements in Albania

Packaged food sold in Albania must carry a nutrition declaration under VKM Nr. 434, datë 11.7.2018 "Për etiketimin e ushqimit dhe informimin e konsumatorëve". This page covers the Albania - VKM 434/2018 format: Albanian transposition of EU 1169/2011. A compliant Albanian nutrition label declares 7 mandatory nutrients: energy, fat, of which saturates, carbohydrate, of which sugars, protein and salt. Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml, with energy in both kJ and kcal, and salt rather than sodium. The panel is headed "Nutrition Declaration". Albanian is required on pack. There is no mandatory front-of-pack warning scheme. NFL builds a print-ready Albanian nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for Albania automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Citation
VKM Nr. 434, datë 11.7.2018 "Për etiketimin e ushqimit dhe informimin e konsumatorëve"
Effective
19 July 2020
Scope
Albania (packaged food sold at retail)
Source

Key facts

Mandatory nutrients (7)
Energy, Fat, of which saturates, Carbohydrate, of which sugars, Protein and Salt
Declaration basis
Per 100 g or 100 ml
Energy units
kJ and kcal, both required
Sodium or salt
Declared as salt, not sodium
Panel heading
Nutrition Declaration
Label language
Albanian required on pack
Front of pack
Optional: letter grade
Required footnote
*Reference Intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).

What VKM 434/2018 is and where it sits in Albanian food law

VKM 434/2018 is a Council of Ministers decision (Vendim i Këshillit të Ministrave), not a parliamentary statute. Its preamble cites Article 100 of the Constitution and Article 36(3) of Law 9863 of 28 January 2008 "Për ushqimin" (On Food). Article 36 of that law lists the general label particulars, requires in point 2 that the label be in Albanian, and in point 3 delegates the method of labelling to a Council of Ministers decision. VKM 434 is that decision.

Footnote 1 of the published text says the decision is "përafruar pjesërisht" (partially aligned) with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. The structure follows the EU text closely, but the Albanian text is the legal instrument and adds provisions of its own, notably label notification in Article 8.

  • Published: Fletorja Zyrtare nr. 106 of 19 July 2018 (QBZ record).
  • Entry into force: 2 years after publication under the closing clause, so 19 July 2020.
  • Repeal: Article 41(4) repeals VKM 1344/2008, the previous labelling rules.
  • Scope (Article 2): all foods intended for the final consumer, including food supplied by mass caterers, and operators at every stage of the chain that concerns consumer information.

Article 41(3) adds an accession clause: the origin-labelling duties in Article 26(2)(b) to (g) and 26(3) apply only upon Albania's membership of the European Union. Until then, origin is mandatory only where its omission would mislead (Article 26(2)(a)).

Source: VKM 434/2018, QBZ gazette record (FZ 106/2018); full text, AKU copy; Law 9863/2008, Article 36.

The nutrition declaration under Articles 30 to 34 of VKM 434

Article 30(1) fixes the content of the mandatory declaration (deklarata e vlerave ushqyese): energy, then fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. Annex I point 11 defines salt as sodium x 2.5; where salt comes only from naturally occurring sodium, a statement saying so may sit next to the table. Article 30(2) allows monounsaturates, polyunsaturates, polyols, starch, fibre and vitamins or minerals present in significant amounts (Annex XIII Part A) to be added.

  • Basis: Article 32(1) requires expression per 100 g or per 100 ml in the Annex XV units (kJ and kcal for energy). Article 33 allows per-portion figures only in addition, and only if the portion size and the number of portions in the pack are stated.
  • Percent of reference intake: optional under Article 32(3), based on Annex XIII Part B (for example 70 g fat, 20 g saturates, 6 g salt). When used, Article 32(4) requires the statement "Sasia referencë e konsumit mesatar për një të rritur (8400 kJ/2000 kcal)" close by.
  • Format: Article 34 requires all items in the same field of vision, in a table with aligned numbers where space allows, otherwise in linear form, in the Annex XV order.
  • Front-of-pack repetition: Article 30(3) allows energy alone, or energy with fat, saturates, sugars and salt, to be repeated in the principal field of vision (Article 34(3)).
  • Energy calculation: Annex XIV factors, for example fat 37 kJ/g (9 kcal/g) and carbohydrate 17 kJ/g (4 kcal/g).

Article 31(3) says declared figures are average values from the manufacturer's analysis, a calculation from the ingredients, or generally accepted data. The decision contains no rounding table and no analytical tolerance table.

Source: VKM 434/2018, Articles 30 to 34, Annexes I, XIII, XIV and XV.

Albanian language, font size and placement: Articles 12, 13 and 15

Article 15(1) requires mandatory information in a language easily understood where the food is marketed. Article 15(2) is specific for imports: the particulars must be in Albanian, on the original label or on a supplementary label (kundëretiketë). Article 15(3) allows other languages alongside. Beneath this sits Article 36(2) of Law 9863/2008: the label must be written in Albanian and be distinguishable, legible and understandable, a sentence AKU repeats on its labelling page.

  • Legibility (Article 13(1)): a conspicuous place, easily visible, clearly legible, not hidden or interrupted by other text or images.
  • Minimum font size (Article 13(2)): x-height of 1.2 mm or more for all Article 9(1) particulars, with x-height defined in Annex IV.
  • Small packs (Article 13(3)): where the largest surface is under 80 cm2, x-height of 0.9 mm or more.
  • Same field of vision (Article 13(4)): food name, net quantity and, for drinks over 1.2% alcohol, alcoholic strength.

Article 12(2) requires the information on prepacked food to appear on the package itself or an attached label; Article 14 extends the duty to distance selling.

Source: VKM 434/2018, Articles 12 to 15 and Annex IV; AKU, Etiketimi.

Exemptions in Article 16 and Annex V

Article 16(3) exempts the foods listed in Annex V from the mandatory nutrition declaration. Annex V has 19 entries, among them: unprocessed single-ingredient products; products that have only been matured and consist of one ingredient; water; herbs and spices; salt; coffee and tea without added nutritive ingredients; additives, enzymes and processing aids; yeast; chewing gum; packaging whose largest surface is under 25 cm2; and food, including hand-made food, supplied directly by the producer in small quantities to the final consumer or to local retail.

  • Alcoholic drinks over 1.2% (Article 16(4)): exempt from the ingredient list and the nutrition declaration. If a declaration is given voluntarily, Article 30(4) allows it to be limited to energy.
  • Packs under 10 cm2 (Article 16(2)): only name, allergens, net quantity and durability date on the pack; ingredients by other means on request.
  • Permanently marked reusable glass bottles (Article 16(1)): name, allergens, net quantity, durability date and nutrition declaration only.
  • Non-prepacked food (Article 40): only allergen information is mandatory; the other particulars, including nutrition, are not.

An exempt product may still declare, but Article 36(1) requires voluntary information to follow the same content and presentation rules as mandatory information.

Source: VKM 434/2018, Articles 16, 36, 40 and Annex V.

Enforcement by AKU, label notification and the transition dates

Article 41(5) charges the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Food Authority (Autoriteti Kombëtar i Ushqimit, AKU) with implementation. Article 41(1) sends breaches to Article 68 of Law 9863/2008, which treats labelling contrary to Article 36 of that law as an administrative offence punishable by a fine (500,000 to 1,000,000 lekë in the law as originally published; the law has since been amended, so check the current text).

The Albanian addition with most day-to-day effect is label notification. Article 8(8) requires the operator responsible for the label to notify each product label to the AKU regional directorate. Under Article 8(9) AKU has no more than 15 calendar days; if no comments arrive the label is deemed notified, and a revised label must be re-submitted within 10 calendar days. AKU's labelling page states that the application is made through e-Albania with the colour label as a PDF and the nutrient calculation under Article 31.

  • 19 July 2020: entry into force; VKM 1344/2008 repealed.
  • 19 July 2021: end of the Article 41(2) sell-through period for non-compliant stock placed on the market before entry into force ("jo më vonë se 1 (një) vit").

Article 35 allows voluntary graphic forms of the nutrition declaration under the conditions in Article 35(1), monitored by AKU under Article 35(3). No mandatory front-of-pack scheme exists. Build an Albanian label in the generator.

Source: VKM 434/2018, Articles 8, 35 and 41; AKU, Etiketimi (notification via e-Albania); Law 9863/2008, Article 68.

How NFL handles it

  • Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
  • Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
  • Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
  • Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
  • Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Common questions

Is a nutrition declaration mandatory in Albania under VKM 434/2018?
Yes. Article 9(1)(h) lists the nutrition declaration among the mandatory particulars for prepacked food and Article 30(1) fixes its content: energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. The rule has applied since 19 July 2020. The main exceptions are the foods listed in Annex V, drinks over 1.2% alcohol, packs under 10 cm2 and non-prepacked food.
Does Albania use salt or sodium on the nutrition label?
Salt. Article 30(1) names kripë (salt), and Annex I point 11 defines it as sodium multiplied by 2.5. If the salt content is due only to naturally present sodium, a statement saying so may be placed next to the declaration.
Must food labels in Albania be in Albanian?
Yes. Article 15(2) of VKM 434/2018 requires the mandatory particulars of imported food to be in Albanian, on the original label or on a supplementary label, and Article 36(2) of Law 9863/2008 requires the label to be written in Albanian and be legible and understandable. Other languages may be added alongside Albanian (Article 15(3)).
Can I declare nutrients per serving instead of per 100 g in Albania?
Not instead of. Article 32(1) requires energy and nutrients per 100 g or 100 ml. Article 33 lets you add per-portion or per-unit values provided the portion size is stated on the label and the number of portions in the pack is declared.
What is the minimum font size for a food label under VKM 434?
Article 13(2) requires an x-height of at least 1.2 mm for all mandatory particulars. Where the largest surface of the pack is under 80 cm2, Article 13(3) lowers this to 0.9 mm. Annex IV contains the diagram defining x-height.
Do I have to notify my label to AKU before selling in Albania?
Yes. Article 8(8) requires the operator responsible for the label to notify it to the AKU regional directorate. AKU has up to 15 calendar days to comment; silence means the label is deemed notified, and any revised label must be re-submitted within 10 calendar days. AKU states the application is made through e-Albania with the colour label PDF and the nutrient calculation.
Is VKM 434/2018 the same as EU Regulation 1169/2011?
Not identical. The published text states it is partially aligned (përafruar pjesërisht) with Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and its structure follows it, including the seven-nutrient declaration per 100 g or 100 ml and the 1.2 mm font rule. Albanian-specific elements include mandatory label notification to AKU and the deferral of most origin-labelling duties until EU accession (Article 41(3)).
Which foods are exempt from the nutrition declaration in Albania?
Annex V lists 19 categories, including unprocessed single-ingredient foods, water, herbs and spices, salt, tea and coffee without added nutritive ingredients, additives, yeast, chewing gum, packs whose largest surface is under 25 cm2, and food supplied directly in small quantities by the producer to the final consumer or local retail. Alcoholic drinks over 1.2% are exempt under Article 16(4).

How to generate one

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