Food labelling and consumer information

Food must not just be safe, but also must be what it says it is.

Food information to consumers, primarily shared via the product label, must not mislead and the food label itself is the primary means of providing essential information to consumers. This includes the products’s ingredients (includng allergens), durability date, origin, quantity, nutrition, storage requirements, any key safety information and the details of the responsible food business. As an evolving area, the physical food label can also be accompanied by food information via digital channels.
_{For FDF members: Food Law & Labelling Committee (FLL)}

The following are some key areas of consumer food information:

• Detailed nutrition information on the back of pack is mandatory for most prepacked foods and is a powerful tool in helping consumers make better-informed choices and improving their overall food literacy. In addition, many manufacturers voluntarily provided simple, at-a-glance nutrition information on the front of pack (e.g. UK traffic light scheme).
• Manufacturers can highlight the particular beneficial health effects and nutrition of their products. These are subject to pre-approval and specific criteria being met. A health claim refers to a relationship between a food or ingredient (e.g. ‘Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and health’) and a nutrition claim refers to a nutritional benefit of a food (e.g. ‘high fibre’ or ‘low fat’).
• UK origin labelling laws ensure that misleading statements are not made and that consumers are accurately informed. Origin labelling is mandatory for several foods (e.g. honey, fish and meat), and for all other categories, only when the absence of such information may mislead the consumer. Since 1 April 2020, in the UK there has been an additional requirement to declare the primary ingredient's origin when different to that of the product’s given origin. Food businesses are also able to declare voluntary origin statements.

FDF Food Safety and Authenticity Report (members only) - March 2024

As one of the many FDF committees and groups available for members' only access, the FDF runs the Food Law & Labelling (FLL) Committee which provides members with the latest updates on food information policy and the opportunity to influence our policy positions and workstreams.

FDF committees and groups