Food product labelling

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Foundation

Learning objectives
To recognise which information, by law, must
appear on food products.
To recognise the additional information which
some food manufactures choose to place on food
labels.
To understand that foods sold loose are currently
exempt from many of the food labelling laws.

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Information for the

nation
Pre-packaged foods have
information on their labels which
can help consumers choose
between different foods, brands,
or flavours.
Much of the information must be
provided by law.

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Information for consumers

The following information must appear by law on food
labels:
the name of the food;
weight or volume;
ingredient list;
allergen information;
genetically modified (GM) ingredients;
date mark and storage conditions;
preparation instructions;
name and address of manufacturer, packer or seller;
place of origin;
lot (or batch) mark;
nutrition information (from 2016 onwards).
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Additional information
Additional information may also be
provided, such as cooking
instructions or serving suggestions.
In the UK, foods sold loose are
currently exempt from many of the
food labelling laws.

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The name of the food

It is important that the name of the
food must be clearly stated and not
be ambiguous or misleading.
If the food has been processed in
some way, the process must be
included in the title if it would be
misleading not to, e.g. dried
apricots, salted peanuts, smoked
bacon.

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The name of the food

The name must also describe the
differences between apparently similar
products. For example, fruit yogurt
differentiates it from yogurt using
artificial flavourings.
Sometimes foods have made up names,
e.g. Bonzo which give no information
about what is in them or how they have
been processed. In such cases, a
description of the food must be given.

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Weight or volume
The weight or volume of the food must be shown
on the label. By comparing the weight with the
price of different brands, consumers can make sure
that they are getting value for money.
Some foods such as bread, tea and butter are only
sold in standard amounts.
For example, loaves of bread are sold as either
400g or 800g. The actual weight of the product
must be within a few grams of the weight stated on
the label. If products weigh less than 5g then the
weight need not be stated.
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Ingredients
Ingredients are listed in order of weight, according to
the amounts that were used to make the food,
starting with the largest ingredient and ending with
the smallest.
Food additives and water must also be included in
the list if they have been added.
Sometimes a particular ingredient is highlighted in
the name, e.g. Prawn Curry: now with extra prawns.
If so, the minimum amount of the named ingredient
must be included in the ingredients list, or next to
the name of the food.
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Allergy information
Within the European Union, any of the 14 foods
listed on the following slide used in a pre-packed
food, need to be mentioned on the food label.
This enables consumers to understand more about
the ingredients in pre-packed foods and are helpful
for people with food allergies and intolerances who
need to avoid certain foods.

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Allergy information
The 14 foods are:
celery;
cereals containing
gluten (such as wheat,
barley, rye and oats);
crustaceans (such as
lobster and crab);
eggs;
fish;
lupins;
cows milk;
molluscs (such as
mussels and oysters);
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mustard;
nuts (such as almonds,
hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil
nuts, cashews, pecans,
pistachios and macadamia
nuts);
peanuts;
sesame seeds;
soybeans;
sulphur dioxide and
sulphites (preservatives
used in some foods and
drinks) at levels above
10mg per kg or per litre.

Genetically modified (GM) ingredients

The presence of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) or ingredients produced from GMOs must be
indicated on the label. For GM products sold 'loose',
information must be displayed immediately next to
the food to indicate that it is GM. Small amounts of
approved GM ingredients (below 0.9% for approved
GM varieties) that are accidentally present in a food
do not need to be labelled.
Foods produced with GM technology (e.g. cheese
produced with GM enzymes) and products such as
meat, milk and eggs from animals fed on GM animal
feed do not have to be labelled.
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Storage conditions and Use by mark

The label must say how long foods should
be kept and how to store them. Following
storage instructions can prevent food from
spoiling too quickly, reduce the risk of food
poisoning and help to make sure that it
tastes and looks its best when it is eaten.
Foods which spoil quickly (i.e. are highly
perishable) such as cooked meat and fish
have a Use by date. If kept for too long
these foods can cause food poisoning
even though they may not taste odd.

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Freezing star rating system

A simple star system is used to indicate what
temperature the food should be held at and for how
long:
* - 6 C 1 week (pre frozen food only);
** - 12 C 1 month (pre frozen food only);
*** - 18 C 3 months (pre frozen food only);
**** - 18 C or colder 6 months (pre frozen food; can
also be used to freeze fresh food from room
temperature).

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Best before date

Other foods have a best before date, after which
foods may not be at their best, with regard to flavour,
colour and texture, even though they will probably be
safe if they have been stored according to the
instructions on the label.
One exception to this is eggs, which carry a best
before date. However it can contain the dangerous
bacteria, salmonella, so eggs should not be consumed
after the best before date. New government advice
suggests that if the eggs are cooked thoroughly until
both yolk and white are solid, they can be eaten a day
or two after their best before date. This is aimed to
help cutting down on food waste.
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Name of address, packer or seller

The name and address of the
manufacturer, packer or seller must
be stated on the label.
Consumers can then contact the
manufacturer if they have a
complaint about a product or if they
wish to know more about it.

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Preparation instructions
Instructions on how to prepare and cook the food
must be given on the label, if they are needed. If the
food has to be heated, the temperature of the oven
and the cooking time will usually be stated.
Instructions may also be given for heating in a
microwave oven. These instructions should make
sure that the food tastes its best and that it will be
thoroughly heated to a core temperature of 72C to
help minimise the risk of food poisoning.

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Place of origin
The label must show clearly where the food has
come from if it would be misleading not to show
it, for example, a tub of Greek Yogurt which was
made in France.
The European Union has created three systems to
promote and protect regional food products.
These include the Protected Designation of Origin
(PDO), the Protected Geographical Indication
(PGI), and the Traditional Specialty Guaranteed
(TSG).

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Regional food product protection

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) is used for
food produced, processed and prepared in a given
geographical area using recognised know-how, e.g.
West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese and Jersey
Royal potatoes.

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Regional food product protection

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) the
geographical link must occur in at least one of the
stages of production, processing or preparation,
e.g. Melton Mowbray Pork pie, Scottish farmed
salmon and Welsh lamb.

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Regional food product protection

Traditional Specialty Guaranteed
(TSG) highlights traditional
character, either in composition
or means of production, e.g.
traditional farm fresh turkey in
the UK.

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Lot (or batch) mark

A lot mark is a code which is required by law to
appear on the label. It helps to identify batches of
food in the event that they need to be recalled by
the manufacturer, packer or producer.
A date mark is sometimes used as a lot mark. Lot
marks may be indicated by the letter L.
Pre-packed red meat and meat products, for
example, must carry traceability information for
identification of the product through the supply
chain back to the farm.
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Other information
Other information which may appear on the label
includes:
bar codes;
nutrition information (mandatory from 2016
onwards) and front of pack labelling schemes;
organic certification;
food assurance schemes, e.g. Red Tractor;
vegetarian certification.

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Consumer information
Food assurance schemes have been developed to
compliment food legislation. They cover the food chain
from farm to fork.
An example is the Red Tractor food assurance scheme
It covers:
cereals, oilseeds, pulses and sugar;
fruit, vegetables and salad;
milk;
chicken;
beef, lamb and pig meat.

Multi-ingredient products must contain at

least 65% Red Tractor certified ingredients
to be labelled as Red Tractor products.
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Consumer information
The Red Tractor logo can only be used to label
ingredients from farmers, growers and food processors
that have been inspected and certified to strict
standards. Detailed technical standards that cover:

food safety makes sure your food is safe to eat;

animal welfare makes sure animals have
everything they need for a good quality of life;
environment makes sure farmers protect the
countryside by preventing pollution of
watercourses, soil, air and wildlife habitat;
traceability every part of the food supply chain is
inspected to ensure food carrying the logo is
accounted for and can be traced back to UK farms.
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Bar codes
Many food labels have a bar code
and number on them.
This is not required by law, but bar
codes are a quick and easy way of
identifying items especially at
supermarket checkouts where the
scanner can also identify other
information such as the price.
Bar codes are also used for stock
control in shops and warehouses.

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Nutrition information
At the moment, foods and drinks do not have to
provide nutrition information on packaging (unless
they make a nutrition or health claim about the
product). Where information is given, some rules
have to be followed.
However, provision of information will become
compulsory in the near future and, as described
later, there will be some small changes to the
format required.

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Nutrition information on the back of

pack
The current rules specify the nutrients that can be
included. The information has to be presented per
100g/ml, but could also be provided per portion.
Format 1: Big 4
Energy
(kJ and kcal)
Protein
(g)
Carbohydrate
(g)
Fat
(g)

Format 2: Big 4 and Little 4

Energy
(kJ and kcal)
Protein
(g)
Carbohydrate
(g)
of which sugars
(g)
Fat
(g)
of which saturates
Fibre
(g)
Sodium
(g)

(g)

Further information can be added to labels such as

the amounts of polyunsaturates, monounsaturates,
starch, cholesterol, vitamins or minerals.
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Front-of-pack nutrition labelling

Most of the major supermarkets and
many food manufacturers choose to
display nutritional information on the
front of pre-packaged food and drinks.
There are two major schemes for frontof-pack labelling in place: traffic light
labelling and Guideline Daily Amount
(GDA) labels. Some packs may use a
combination of the two.

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Traffic light labelling

Traffic light labels on the front of pack
provide information on high (red),
medium (amber) or low (green)
amounts of sugars, fat, saturated fat
and salt present in the product,
expressed per 100g/ml of the
food/drink.
This front-of-pack labelling scheme
was developed by the Food Standards
Agency to give an at-a-glance
indication of whether a food is a
healthier choice.
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Traffic light labelling

Food Standards Agency

Sugars

Fat

Saturates Salt

What is
high
per 100g

Over 15g

Over 20g

Over 5g

Over 1.5g

What is
medium
per 100g

Between
5g and
15g

Between
3g and
20g

Between
1.5g and
5g

Between
0.3g and
1.5g

What is
low per
100g

5g and
below

3g and
below

1.5g and
below

0.3g and
below

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Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)

GDA labels include the Guideline
Daily Amount for certain
nutrients and the percentage (%)
GDA provided by 100g or 1
portion.
This can be used to compare
products and to choose the one
which best suits the consumer,
e.g. finding the one with the
lowest salt content.

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Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)

GDAs are not targets for individuals to
consume, but a guideline or benchmark to
help people make dietary choices and
balance their daily intake.
Usually GDA values for adult women are
used for food labels. This is because these
values have been developed for the
nutrients often consumed in excess, they
represent benchmarks that should not be
exceeded on a regular basis; however,
peoples needs do vary. Therefore, the
values for women are typically used as
these are slightly lower than those for men.
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A combined approach to frontof-pack nutrition labelling

Some packs may use a
combination of both the traffic light
labelling and GDA labels.

(Department of Health 2011)

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New labelling regulations in Europe

the Food Information Regulation
A new Regulation covering all aspects of food labelling,
including the size of the letters on packaging, came
into force at the end of 2011.
It will make providing nutrition information on the back
of packaged foods compulsory from 2016 (previously it
was optional unless a nutrition or health claim was
made). Front-of-pack labelling will remain optional.
The format of nutrition labels will change slightly under
the new rules and companies can start to use the new
format straightaway, although the old rules (known as
the Food Labelling Regulations) remain legal until 2014.
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New labelling regulations in Europe

the Food Information Regulation
Current back of pack nutrition panel

New back of pack nutrition panel

Note that fibre can also be

added to the panel but is not
compulsory.
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Health claims
Very prescriptive regulations on nutrient claims are
now in force across the European Union.
General claims about benefits to overall good health,
such as healthy or good for you, will only be
allowed to be used if accompanied by an appropriate
and approved claim. This means that more general
claims must be backed up by an explanation of why
the food is healthy or what makes it a superfood.
Labels are not allowed to claim that food can treat,
prevent or cure any disease of medical condition.
These sorts of claims can only be made of licenced
medicines.
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Nutrition claims
A nutrition claim describes what a food
contains (or does not contain) or
contains in reduced or increased
amounts. Examples include:
Low fat (less than 3g of fat per 100g
food);
High fibre (at least more than 6g of
fibre per 100g food);
Reduced sugar (30% less than the
original product);
Source of vitamin C (at least 15% of
the recommended daily allowance for
vitamin C).
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Health claims
A health claim may be featured on the
packaging if a food or one of its
ingredients has been agreed by experts
to provide additional health benefits.
Examples of health claims include:
Calcium is important for normal growth
and development of bones in children.
Beta-glucans from oats help to reduce
blood cholesterol.
Xylitol in some sugar-free chewing gum
helps neutralise plaque acids.
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Organic
Every organic food product needs to gain a certificate
from one of the UKs organic certification bodies. This
certification can be found on a food label to identify it
as genuinely organic.
Foods may only be marked as organic if at least 95%
of their agricultural ingredients are organic. Organic
ingredients in non-organic food may be listed as organic
in the list of ingredients, as long as this food has been
produced in accordance with the organic legislation.
In order to ensure better transparency, the code
number of the control body must be indicated.
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Vegetarian
There is currently no single legal definition of the
terms vegetarian or vegan either at the UK or
European level.
Products displaying the Vegetarian Society
Approved logo must fulfil certain requirements laid
down by the Vegetarian Society.
The Suitable for Vegetarians logo is not regulated.
It is known as a voluntary claim, which means that
it is illegal for the labelling information to include
anything that is false or likely to mislead.
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Review of the learning objectives

To recognise which information, by law, must
appear on food products.
To recognise the additional information which
some food manufactures choose to place on food
labels.
To understand that foods sold loose are currently
exempt from many of the food labelling laws.

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For more information visit

www.nutrition.org.uk
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk

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