Legal requirements in the UK for the provision of food information to consumers that you must comply with as a food business.

With the exception of Northern Ireland (NI), all references to European Union (EU) Regulations in this guidance should be read as retained EU law. Retained EU law can be accessed via the HM Government EU Exit web archive (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/eu-exit/ ). They should be read in conjunction with the relevant EU Exit Regulations, which have been introduced to ensure that retained EU law works properly in the UK context. The EU Exit Regulations are available at legislation.gov.uk. EU food law will continue to apply in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol. Retained EU law will not apply in these circumstances.

This page outlines the requirements of Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC) and related legal standards for the labelling and composition of food products such as bottled water, milk, fish and meat. Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers combines EU rules on general food labelling and nutrition labelling into a single piece of legislation.

A retained version of Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers applies to food businesses in Great Britain (GB). EU food law, including Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, applies in Northern Ireland.

Labelling of pre-packaged food
Any pre-packaged food requires a label containing certain mandatory information. All food is subject to general food labelling requirements and all labels must be accurate and not misleading.

Some foods are controlled by product-specific legislation (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-standards-labelling-durability-and-composition) and they include: Bread and flour; cocoa and chocolate products; instant coffee; dairy products; honey; fruit juices and nectars; infant formula; jams and marmalades, meat products - sausages, burgers and pates; fish; natural mineral waters; spreadable fats; sugars; irradiated foods; foods containing genetic modification (GMOs).

What should be taken into account
By law, the following information must appear on food labels and packaging:

• Name of food

The name of the food must be clearly indicated on the packaging and must not be misleading. If there is a name prescribed by law, it must be used.
In the absence of a legal name, a customary name may be used. This may be a name that has become widely understood by consumers and perpetuated over time, for example "BLT" for a sandwich with bacon, lettuce and tomato.If the customary name does not exist or is not used, a descriptive name for the food should be given. It must be sufficiently descriptive to inform the consumer of the true nature of the food and enable it to be distinguished from products with which it might otherwise be confused. Most products fall into this category and require a descriptive name. If the food has been processed in some way, this process must be included in the name, for example 'smoked bacon', 'salted peanuts' or 'dried fruit'.
Processed food is any food that has been altered in some way during preparation.

• List of ingredients

Where a food contains two or more ingredients (including water and additives), they shall all be listed under the heading 'Ingredients' or a suitable heading containing the word 'ingredients'. The ingredients must be listed in order of weight, with the main ingredient in first place, according to the quantities used to make the food. Certain foods are exempt from the need to list ingredients, for example: fresh fruit and vegetables, sparkling water and single-ingredient foods, etc.

• Allergen information
  When a food product contains any of the 14 allergens that must be declared by law as ingredients, these allergens must be listed and highlighted in the ingredients list.

Emphasise allergens on the label by using a different font, style, background colour or bolding the text. This enables consumers to better understand the ingredients in packaged foods and is helpful for people with food allergies and intolerances who need to avoid certain foods.

• Quantitative ingredient declaration (QUID)
  QUID informs the consumer of the percentage of each ingredient in a food product. This is required when a particular ingredient or category of ingredients:

(a) appears in the name of the food or is usually associated with that name by the consumer;

(b) is emphasised on the label in words, pictures or graphics; or

(c) is essential to characterise the food and to distinguish it from products with which it may be confused because of its name or appearance.

An indication of the quantity of an ingredient or category of ingredients must:

- be presented as a percentage which corresponds to the quantity of the ingredient or ingredients at the time of its/their use; and
- appear either in or immediately next to the name of the food or in the list of ingredients in connection with the ingredient or category of ingredients in question.

• Net quantity
  All packaged foods over 5g or 5ml must indicate the net quantity on the label to comply with food information legislation. Foods packaged in liquid (or ice topping) must indicate the net weight after draining. The declaration of the net quantity is not mandatory for foods:

(a) which are subject to considerable loss in volume or weight and which are sold by the piece or weighed in the presence of the purchaser;

(b) whose net quantity is less than 5 g or 5 ml, unless they are herbs or spices;

(c) normally sold by the piece, provided that the number of pieces is clearly visible and easy to count from the outside or, if not, is indicated on the label.

• Storage conditions and date marking
  Food labels must be labelled with a 'best before' or 'use by' date so that it is clear how long the food can be stored and how to store it.

More information can be found in the date marking guide on the Waste & Resources Action Plan (WRAP) website.

• Name and address of the manufacturer
  Food companies must include the company name and address on the food packaging or label. This must be:

- the name of the company under which the food is sold; or
- the address of the company that imported the food.
Food products sold in Northern Ireland must include the address of the food business in NI or the EU. If the food business is not in NI or the EU, it must include the address of an importer based in NI or the EU.

Food businesses can continue to use the EU, GB or NI address for the FBO on food products sold in GB until 30 September 2022.

From 1 January 2024 (extended from 1 October 2022), food products sold in the UK must include the address of a food business in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. If the food business is not located in the UK, they must include the address of an importer based in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.

The address provided must be a physical address where the company can be contacted by post. An email address or telephone number cannot be used. Providing an address gives consumers the opportunity to contact the manufacturer if they have a complaint about the product or want to know more about it.

• Country or place of origin
  Under the FIC regulations, the indication of the country or place of origin of a food is mandatory if the absence of such an indication is likely to mislead consumers as to the true country or place of origin of the food. Consumers can be misled without this information, for example in the case of Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, which was produced in Italy.

According to FIC regulations, there are certain rules of origin that must be followed, including the country of origin of basic ingredients and the country of origin of certain meats.

Find out when you need to label your meat, fish or seafood with the country of origin (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-country-of-origin).

In Northern Ireland, EU country of origin legislation, under the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), applies to food placed on the Northern Ireland market. Where EU law requires an indication of the Member State in relation to the country of origin, food businesses must ensure that if the food originates in Northern Ireland, such indications should be in the form of 'UK(NI)' or 'United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)'.

• Preparation instructions
  Instructions for the proper preparation and cooking of food, including heating in a microwave oven, must be given on the label if needed. If the food needs to be heated, the oven temperature and cooking time are usually indicated.
• Nutritional information
  The mandatory nutrition declaration must be clearly presented in a prescribed format and provide values for energy and six nutrients. Values must be given in units (including both kJ and kcal for energy) per 100 g/ml and the nutrition declaration must meet minimum font size requirements.
• Additional labelling requirements
  There are additional labelling requirements for certain food and drink products. You must inform the consumer if your products contain: sweeteners or sugars, aspartame and colours, liquorice, caffeine polyols.

How to display mandatory information on packaging and labels?
The minimum font size applies to mandatory information, which must be printed using a minimum x-height of 1.2 mm.If the largest area of the packaging is less than 80 square cm, a minimum x-height of 0.9 mm may be used. The mandatory data must be indicated in words and figures. They can also be represented by pictograms and symbols.

Mandatory food information must:
- be easy to spot,
- be clearly legible and difficult to remove, where appropriate
- shall not in any way be hidden, obscured, distorted or interrupted by any other written or graphic information
- should not require consumers to open the product to access the information.

Food labelling - non-prepacked food
Unpackaged food is any food presented to the final consumer or to a mass caterer that does not fall under the definition of 'prepackaged food'.

Unpackaged food includes:

- food sold in bulk at retail outlets
- food which is not sold as prepackaged food, such as meals served in restaurants and take-away food
- food packaged at the point of sale at the consumer's request, such as a sandwich prepared in front of the consumer's eyes.

Labelling requirements
For non-pre-packaged foods, the name of the food, the presence of any of the 14 allergens and the QUID declaration (for products containing meat) must be provided to the consumer. This can be done:

(a) on a label attached to the food, or
(b) on a notice, ticket or label which is readily visible to the intending purchaser at the place where he intends to select that food.

In the case of irradiated food, one of the following statements must appear next to the name of the food: "irradiated" or "treated with ionising radiation".
Currently, food companies are not legally obliged to provide a full list of ingredients. The requirement is to provide information on the use of allergenic ingredients in food. If a food company chooses not to provide this information upfront in written form (for example, allergen information on menus), it must use clear signage to direct the consumer to where this information can be found, for example by asking a member of staff. In such situations, the statement must be included on food menus, chalkboards, food order tickets or food labels.

Foods packaged for direct sale (PPDS) must be labelled with a full list of ingredients, highlighting allergenic ingredients.

Pre-packaging (vacuum packaging)
If you vacuum pack (VP) or modified atmosphere pack (MAP) food as part of your business, you must:

- use for wrapping and packaging materials that will not be a source of contamination,
- store packaging materials so that they are not exposed to the risk of contamination,
- wrap and package food in a way that avoids contamination of the products,
-Make sure any containers are clean and undamaged, especially if cans or glass jars are used,
- be able to keep the packaging or packaging material clean.

Food authenticity
Authenticity of a food is when the food conforms to its description. Labelling is regulated to protect consumers, who should have the correct information to make confident and informed food choices based on diet, allergies, personal preferences or cost.

Mislabelled food misleads consumers and creates unfair competition with producers or traders. Everyone has the right to know that the food they buy is as described on the label. Part of our role is to help prevent mislabelled or misleading food descriptions.

The description of a food refers to the information given about it viz: name, ingredients, origin, processing.
If you think a food product is not authentic, read the information on food crime.

Falsely describing, advertising or presenting food is a criminal offence and there are a number of laws to help protect consumers from fraudulent labelling and misleading descriptions.

Legislation - Legislation in England
The Food Information Regulations 2014 in England (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1855/pdfs/uksi_20141855_en.pdf ) enable local authorities to enforce European Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC).

DEFRA provides a summary of guidance for England (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-giving-food-information-to-consumers ).

Legislation in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Food Information Regulations 2014 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2014/223/made/data.pdf ) enable district councils in Northern Ireland to enforce European Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC).

Legislation in Wales
The Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 in Wales (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2014/2303/made/data.pdf ) enables local authorities to enforce European Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC).

source:

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/packaging-and-labelling#revision-log

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-labelling-giving-food-information-to-consumers