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The law on food labelling and composition is complex and subject to change. The information below is not a definitive interpretation to the law as only Courts can provide a definitive interpretation. Neither is information given regarding guidance on weights and measures law, which also applies to food labels. Visit the websites given below under the heading Useful Websites .
For up-to-date details The food Standards Agency web page Labelling and Packaging. Go to www.food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/
The Food Safety Act 1990 makes it an offence to sell food for human consumption which:
The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 makes it an offence to apply a false trade description to any goods or to offer to supply goods to which a false description is applied.
There are specific regulations enforced under the Food Safety Act 1990 such as:
Basic information required by law to appear on labels of most pre-packed foods includes the following.
The name should be sufficiently precise to inform the purchaser of the true nature of the food. It may be necessary to add a qualifying statement to clarify the nameexample "Vegetable Samosa - a spicy vegetable filled pastry parcel."
If there is a name prescribed by law this must be used e.g. "prawns". Reserved names may only be used for foods meeting specific compositional criteria e.g. coffee, chocolate, and jam. Customary names that have become accepted in the UK without further explanation may also be used example "Cream Crackers" or "Muesli".
All the ingredients of the food, headed by the word "Ingredients" (or a phrase including that word), must be listed in descending order of weight.
Certain categories of ingredients such as additives must be identified by category name, e.g. "Preservative", and then identified by a specific (chemical) name or serial number, e.g. serial number, e.g. "sodium nitrate" or "E250".
Food Allergies
There must be information provided regarding any potential allergens. Search the Food Standards Agency for Allergens
Some claims are prohibited , example claims that food can prevent, treat or cure diseases or other "adverse conditions."
Nutritional claims about food such as "reduced energy", "rich in vitamins" etc., can only be made if the food meets set compositional standards. Such claims also require the provision of nutritional information. All nutritional information must be given in the form specified in the Regulations.
See Claims -Nutritional Information in the section above.
There are two types:
Any special storage conditions must be described e.g. storage temperature for perishable foods.
Business name and address
The label must show the name and address of:
The place of origin of the food is required if not by giving it, the purchaser could be misled, example "English Brie Cheese".
Instructions for use are required if it would be difficult to use the food without them, example. "how to make a cake from cake mix".
Labelling information must be clearly legible, indelible, conspicuous and easy to understand. In addition to English other languages may be included on the label.
You must be able to identify batches of your product by a lot mark. This unique code that must be prefixed by the letter "L" if it cannot easily be differentiated from other codes. The date marking can double-up as the lot mark, provided it is in the form "day, month" . Remember the smaller the size of the lot, the smaller the financial consequences of a product recall.
The following must be in the same field of vision:
It is against the law to pack or sell food which does not comply with food labelling legislation.
Other composition and labelling laws apply to specific foods and to foods containing colours, sweeteners and other additives.
QUID is properly known as Food Quantity Declaration of Ingredients. Prepacked foods are required by law to be labelled with the quantity of certain ingredients.
Antioxidants, sweeteners, colourants, flavour enhancers, flavourings, flour improvers, and preservatives have to be specified by type of additive only.
All food businesses
In the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and other London Authorities it is down to Environmental Health Officers to enforce the food labelling legislation
If your enquiry is in connection to the sale and labelling of food within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea contact Food Hygiene Trading and Standards, email food.hygiene@rbkc.gov.uk
The Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1999 require food labels and menus to state if a product does contain Genetically Modified ingredients. For more information see the page Menus and Food Labelling
See our list of useful websites.
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