Labelling of packaged foods
What labelling is required?
The labelling requirements are very complex and vary from product to product. There are certain basic requirements for all food labels:
- A food name. There are some names that are prescribed by law, which should be used if they apply. Some products may have a 'product name' such as 'Fruit Corner' which will require a further explanation of the name on the label such as 'plain yoghurt with fruit puree'
- A list of ingredients listed in descending order by weight
- A percentage (%) quantity indication of certain ingredients if they are mentioned in the name. For example a cheese sandwich label needs to list the percentage of cheese in the ingredients
- A 'use by', 'best before' or 'best before end' date
- Any special storage or use conditions, for example shake before opening'
- The name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller
- The place of origin, if leaving it off the label could mislead
Some products have additional requirements
- Meat products may require a declaration of the water content in percent (%)
- Jam must have a fruit and sugar content declaration
- Chocolate requires a percentage cocoa solids declaration and milk chocolate should show the percentage of milk solids
- Beef must be labelled with the specific origin and traceability information
- Baby food must show the minimum age of child for which it is suitable and certain nutritional information
- Alcoholic drinks need to declare their strength (percentage alcohol)
- Foods or ingredients that have been irradiated or consist of genetically modified organisms must be labelled as such
- Raw milk that has not been pasteurised must be marked with a warning
- Some foods (such as bread) can only be made in specific quantities, but all foods must have a quantity or weight declaration in metric
Labelling claims
- If a food makes any sort of slimming claim, or that it has extra vitamins or minerals, or is high or low in a nutrient, some additional information has to be given, including nutritional information, which has to be stated in a certain way
- There are special rules concerning labelling foods as 'organic'
- There are guidelines to be followed if using words such as 'natural', 'fresh' and 'traditional'
- There are special considerations with regards to the use of illustrations on packaging
Exemptions
There are special labelling rules for bread, flour confectionary, edible ices and cow's milk, which allow less information on the label. This information may need to be on a notice near the product in some cases.
This exemption applies if the product is sold for 'direct sale'. This means selling from the manufacturers own shop or stall.
Foods that are completely un- packaged do not need full labelling, but may still need certain information to be available for the customer on request.
Allergens
From November 2005 specific ingredients must be indicated on the label. These are ingredients that may cause food allergies. If a food contains any of the following it must be clearly stated on the label:
- Cereals
- Crustaceans (crab, prawns)
- Fish
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Milk
- Nuts
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame seeds
- Sulphur dioxide (a preservative)
There is no legal requirement to include a 'may contain' statement where cross contamination is a risk. The allergen only needs to be declared by law if it is part of the recipe.
Further guidance
Officers in the Food Safety team have specific knowledge on the labelling of foods. Please contact us on 01752 304141 to discuss labelling requirements for your business.