Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Reading

Food Labelling in the UK: A Guide to the Legal Requirements .............. Home Page

Fundamentals
Name of food

Key mandatory requirements

The Regulation provides an initial statement of the particulars that are normally mandatory (subject to any exemptions which may be provided later in the Regulation):

... indication of the following particulars shall be mandatory:

(a) the name of the food;
(b) the list of ingredients;
(c) any ingredient or processing aid listed in Annex II or derived from a substance or product listed in Annex II causing allergies or intolerances used in the manufacture or preparation of a food and still present in the finished product, even if in an altered form;
(d) the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients;
(e) the net quantity of the food;
(f) the date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ date;
(g) any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use;
(h) the name or business name and address of the food business operator referred to in Article 8(1);
(i) the country of origin or place of provenance where provided for in Article 26;
(j) instructions for use where it would be difficult to make appropriate use of the food in the absence of such instructions;
(k) with respect to beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, the actual alcoholic strength by volume;
(l) a nutrition declaration.

Article 9(1)

Therefore, as a general rule, all prepacked food to be delivered to the ultimate consumer or caterer, has to be marked with the following items (follow the links for more details):

  1. the name of the food
  2. a list of ingredients
  3. information on substances causing allergies or intolerances
  4. the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients
  5. the net quantity
  6. the appropriate date mark
  7. any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use
  8. a suitable name and address;
  9. particulars of the country of origin or place of provenance (when specifically required by Article 26)
  10. instructions for use (if necessary)
  11. for beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol, the alcoholic strength
  12. a nutrition declaration

In addition, some foods require additional mandatory items. See additional requirements.

There are certain exemptions from this general rule. The following are listed in Article 16:

1. In the case of glass bottles intended for reuse which are indelibly marked and which therefore bear no label, ring or collar only the particulars listed in points (a), (c), (e), (f) and (l) of Article 9(1) shall be mandatory.

2. In the case of packaging or containers the largest surface of which has an area of less than 10 cm2 only the particulars listed in points (a), (c), (e) and (f) of Article 9(1) shall be mandatory on the package or on the label. The particulars referred to in point (b) of Article 9(1) shall be provided through other means or shall be made available at the request of the consumer.

3. Without prejudice to other provisions in EU-derived domestic legislation or retained direct EU legislation requiring a mandatory nutrition declaration, the declaration referred to in point (l) of Article 9(1) shall not be mandatory for the foods listed in Annex V [see listing of Annex V foods].

4. Without prejudice to other provisions in EU-derived domestic legislation or retained direct EU legislation requiring a list of ingredients or a mandatory nutrition declaration, the particulars referred to in points (b) and (l) of Article 9(1) shall not be mandatory for beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol.

Article 16

Name of food

For the main index page for this site, go to Food Labelling in the UK: A Guide to the Legal Requirements