What Must Be on a Food Label in the UK? The Legal Requirements

In the UK, prepacked food must carry, by law: the name of the food, an ingredients list with allergens emphasised, the quantity of certain ingredients, the net quantity, a best-before or use-by date, any storage conditions or instructions for use, the name and UK address of the business responsible, country of origin where required, alcoholic strength for drinks over 1.2%, and a nutrition declaration. But much food needs far less than that. Loose food needs only its name and allergen information, plus a meat percentage for some meat products. Some foods need no date at all. And selling food past its best-before date is not illegal. It is the use-by date that is legally binding.

At a glance: Nexis CPD’s £9 Food Labelling Regulations course covers the mandatory information on food labels, date marking, allergens and how labelling law is enforced. It is CPD accredited and 100% online with a verifiable e-certificate, and any three courses cost £18. It is awareness training, not a regulated qualification.

What must be on a food label in the UK?

The core law is the Food Information to Consumers Regulation, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, usually called FIC. In Great Britain it now applies as “assimilated” law, and in Northern Ireland the EU version still applies. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) explains this in its packaging and labelling guidance for food businesses, last updated in September 2026.

Article 9 of FIC lists the “mandatory particulars”. They are:

1. the name of the food;
2. the list of ingredients;
3. any of the 14 regulated allergens used in making the food and still present in it;
4. the quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients (the “QUID”);
5. the net quantity of the food;
6. the date of minimum durability (best before) or the “use by” date;
7. any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use;
8. the name or business name and address of the food business operator;
9. the country of origin or place of provenance, where required;
10. instructions for use, where it would be difficult to use the food properly without them;
11. for drinks with more than 1.2% alcohol by volume, the actual alcoholic strength;
12. a nutrition declaration.

Each of these comes with its own detailed rules and exemptions, set out later in the regulation. The Defra and FSA guidance on giving food information to consumers adds that the rules apply “if you operate a food business, even if you give food to consumers for free”. They do not apply if you are not a food business and are providing food “for an occasional event, like a village fair”.

What do the mandatory particulars mean in practice?

The FSA guidance turns the legal list into practical rules:

• Name of the food. If the law prescribes a name, you must use it. Otherwise you can use a customary name (the FSA gives “BLT” as an example) or a descriptive name that tells the consumer what the food really is. Processing must be named where it matters, such as “smoked bacon” or “salted peanuts”.
• Ingredients. If a food has two or more ingredients, including water and additives, they must be listed under a heading that includes the word “ingredients”, in descending order of weight.
• QUID. You must give the percentage of an ingredient that appears in the name of the food, is emphasised in words or pictures on the label, or characterises the food. The government guidance uses a lasagne made with pork, which must show the pork percentage, as an example.
• Net quantity. The FSA says packaged foods above 5g or 5ml must show their net quantity. Food packed in liquid must show the drained net weight.
• Business name and address. From 1 January 2024, food sold in Great Britain must carry a UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man address, or the address of a UK-based importer. It must be a physical address, not an email or phone number.
• Country of origin. This is mandatory where leaving it out could mislead. The government guidance gives the example of a food in a tartan wrapper that was not made in Scotland. Specific origin rules also apply to certain meats.
• Storage and use. Instructions such as “keep refrigerated and use within 3 days of opening” or “do not reheat” must appear where consumers need them.

Does all food need a full label?

No. How much information you must give depends on how the food is sold. This is where many small businesses either over-label or, more dangerously, under-label.

Type of food	What it means	What you must provide
Prepacked	Put into packaging before it is offered for sale, and the food cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging	The full list of mandatory particulars on the pack or a label attached to it
Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS)	Packaged at the same place it is offered or sold to consumers, and in that packaging before it is ordered or selected, such as a sandwich made and wrapped in-store	The name of the food and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised
Non-prepacked (loose)	Sold loose, served in a restaurant or takeaway, or packed at the customer’s request	The name of the food (with some exceptions for caterers), allergen information, and a meat QUID for loose meat products outside catering

The PPDS definition comes from the FSA’s introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food, which adds that it can include food customers pick from a display unit, products kept behind a counter and some food sold at mobile or temporary outlets. In England, regulations 5A and 6A of the Food Information Regulations 2014 require PPDS food to show its name and full ingredients list on the package or a label attached to it.

PPDS food is the category covered by Natasha’s Law, and it trips up cafés, bakeries and delis more than any other. Our guide to Natasha’s Law explains exactly what a PPDS label must show and how to decide whether a product counts as PPDS.

What information must loose food have?

Much less than people assume. Article 44 of FIC makes allergen information mandatory for non-prepacked food, but leaves most other particulars to national rules. In England, the Food Information Regulations 2014 add a requirement to name the food. Regulation 6 says the name must appear “on a label attached to the food”, or on “a notice, ticket or label that is readily discernible by an intending purchaser at the place where the intending purchaser chooses that food”. That naming duty does not apply to ready-to-eat food sold by a mass caterer such as a restaurant.

The FSA summarises what loose food needs as:

• the name of the food;
• the presence of any of the 14 allergens;
• a QUID declaration for products containing meat (outside catering);
• the word “irradiated” or “treated with ionising radiation” where that applies.

The FSA is explicit that “currently, food businesses are not required by law to provide a full ingredients list” for loose food. Allergen information is a different matter. If you do not give it upfront in writing, you must use clear signposting that tells customers where to find it, such as asking a member of staff. Our guide to the 14 allergens explains which foods are covered.

What is the difference between a use-by and a best-before date?

The government’s consumer guidance on date labels puts it simply: “Use-by dates relate to the safety of food, whereas best before dates relate to quality.”

The legal test is in Article 24 of FIC. A use-by date replaces the best-before date for foods “which, from a microbiological point of view, are highly perishable and are therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health”. Article 24 then says that after the use-by date, a food “shall be deemed to be unsafe”.

The manufacturer decides which date applies. The government guidance says this “depends on the type of food and how likely it is to become unsafe to eat over time”. Use-by dates appear on foods that go off quickly, such as meat products and ready-to-eat salads. Best-before dates appear on frozen, dried and tinned foods and on cheese.

Annex X of FIC sets out how the dates must be written:

• Use-by must be preceded by the words “use by”, must give the day and month (and possibly the year), must be followed by the storage conditions, and must appear “on each individual prepacked portion”.
• Best before must say “Best before” when the day is given, or “Best before end” otherwise. Foods that keep for up to 3 months need the day and month. Foods that keep for 3 to 18 months need the month and year. Foods that keep for more than 18 months need only the year.
• Frozen meat, meat preparations and unprocessed fishery products must also show a “frozen on” date where Annex III requires it.

Is it illegal to sell food past its best-before date?

No. This is the question shop owners and charities ask most often, and the answer surprises many of them. The FSA’s guidance for food banks and charities says: “Best before dates relate to quality, not food safety. You can supply food after the best before date, but the food may not meet the quality expected by the consumer.”

The use-by date is different. The government’s labelling guidance states: “It’s a criminal offence to sell food that’s past its ‘use by’ date.” The FSA’s food bank guidance says the same: “It is an offence to supply food after the use-by date.” If it has expired, throw it away.

Selling past best before is legal, but it is not risk-free. Under section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990, it is an offence to sell “to the purchaser’s prejudice any food which is not of the nature or substance or quality demanded by the purchaser”. Stale, mouldy or deteriorated stock can fall foul of that, whatever the date says. Check it, price it honestly and make sure it is still fit to eat. Correct storage matters too: the government guidance warns that food not stored properly “could become unsafe to eat before the use-by date”. Our guide to food temperature control covers the chilled storage that keeps use-by foods safe.

Which foods don’t need a date?

Annex X of FIC exempts these foods from showing a best-before date:

• fresh fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, that have not been peeled, cut or similarly treated (but not sprouting seeds such as legume sprouts);
• wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wines, aromatised wines and similar drinks made from fruit other than grapes;
• drinks containing 10% or more alcohol by volume;
• bakers’ or pastry cooks’ wares that are normally eaten within 24 hours of being made;
• vinegar;
• cooking salt;
• solid sugar;
• confectionery made almost solely of flavoured or coloured sugars;
• chewing gums and similar products.

The government guidance notes that these products must still carry a lot number. Loose food does not need a date at all. The FSA’s food bank guidance confirms that non-prepacked foods “do not need use-by or best-before dates”. It adds a trap for charities: if donated loose food is put into packaging somewhere else, it may become prepacked and then need a date and other mandatory information.

Does every food label need nutrition information?

Most prepacked food does. The nutrition declaration is one of the Article 9 mandatory particulars, and Article 30 says it must give the energy value and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt. The FSA adds that values must be given per 100g or 100ml, with energy in both kJ and kcal.

But Annex V of FIC lists 19 categories that are exempt. They include unprocessed single-ingredient products, waters, herbs and spices, salt, tea and coffee, food additives, chewing gum, and food in packaging whose largest surface is less than 25cm². The exemption that matters most to small producers is number 19:

“Food, including handcrafted food, directly supplied by the manufacturer of small quantities of products to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer.”

FIC does not define “small quantities”. If you rely on this exemption, check with your local authority before you print labels. If you make a nutrition or health claim, such as “high in fibre”, you must give nutrition information whatever your size.

How must allergens be shown on a food label?

On prepacked food, any of the 14 regulated allergens used as ingredients must be listed in the ingredients list and emphasised. The FSA says you “must emphasise allergens on the label using a different font, style, background colour or by bolding the text”.

Allergens get special treatment in enforcement too. The government guidance warns: “You may be prosecuted (without first being given an improvement notice) if you break the rules on allergens.” That is because regulation 10 of the Food Information Regulations 2014 makes failing to comply with the allergen provisions a direct criminal offence. Allergen labelling is the part of food labelling where a mistake can most easily cost someone their life. Our guide to HACCP covers building allergen controls into your food safety system.

How big does the text on a food label have to be?

The government guidance sets out the presentation rules:

• Mandatory information must be printed in a font with a minimum x-height of 1.2mm. If the largest surface of the packaging is less than 80cm², the minimum is 0.9mm. The x-height is the height of a lower-case “x”.
• The name of the food, the net quantity and the alcoholic strength (for drinks over 1.2%) must all be visible together, in the same field of vision.
• Information must be difficult to remove (indelible).

The FSA adds that mandatory information must be easy to see, clearly legible, “not be in any way hidden, obscured, detracted from or interrupted by any other written or pictorial matter”, and should not require the consumer to open the product to read it.

What extra warnings might a food label need?

Some ingredients trigger additional wording. The government guidance lists these among others:

• Sweeteners: “with sweetener(s)”, or “with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)” next to the name of the food.
• Aspartame: “contains a source of phenylalanine”, or “contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)” if the E number is used.
• Caffeine: drinks with more than 150mg per litre must say “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”, with the caffeine content (this does not apply to tea or coffee drinks named as such).
• Polyols: foods with more than 10% added polyols must say “excessive consumption may produce laxative effects”.

What are the food labelling rules for online sales?

If you sell food online, by phone or by mail order, the government guidance says you “must make the required information available for free to the customer before they buy (except the durability and freezing dates) and when it is delivered to them”. So the allergen and ingredient information has to be on the product page, not just on the pack that arrives.

Who enforces food labelling law, and what are the penalties?

Local authorities enforce food labelling. Depending on the issue, that may be trading standards or environmental health. In England, regulation 9 of the Food Information Regulations 2014 gives the duty to food authorities and port health authorities.

For most labelling failures, the route is an improvement notice. The government guidance explains that an officer “may issue you with an improvement notice”, which tells you what is wrong and what to do by when. You can keep trading, but failing to comply with the notice is an offence. There are three important exceptions:

• Allergens — a direct offence under regulation 10, with no notice needed first.
• Net weight — the guidance says improvement notices “cannot be issued in relation to net weight contraventions, but you can be prosecuted”.
• Misleading labels — section 15 of the Food Safety Act 1990 makes it an offence to give or display a label that “falsely describes the food” or “is likely to mislead as to the nature or substance or quality of the food”. An accurate ingredients list does not stop a court finding the overall presentation misleading.

Selling food past its use-by date is also an offence, because Article 24 treats it as unsafe food.

Do the rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

The core FIC requirements are broadly the same across the UK, but each nation has its own enforcement regulations: the Food Information Regulations 2014 in England, the Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014. In Scotland, food labelling guidance comes from Food Standards Scotland rather than the FSA.

Northern Ireland is the main exception. The FSA guidance explains that EU food law, including the EU version of FIC, continues to apply there. Food sold in Northern Ireland needs a Northern Ireland or EU business address, or an importer based there. Where origin is given for food from Northern Ireland, it should say “UK(NI)” or “United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)”.

Who needs food labelling training?

No law requires a specific food labelling course. But food business operators are responsible for the information on their food, and the general food hygiene rules require food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene matters appropriate to their work. Our guide to food hygiene explains those training duties.

In practice, anyone who designs labels, makes PPDS food, handles allergen queries, rotates stock or manages a deli counter needs to understand these rules. An online course explains the law and how to apply it. It does not replace advice from your local authority on a specific product, and it is not a regulated qualification.

Which courses cover food labelling?

These three £9 courses work well together for food producers, retailers and caterers, each with a verifiable certificate:

• Food Labelling Regulations — mandatory particulars, date marking, allergens and enforcement.
• Food Allergen Awareness — the 14 allergens, cross-contamination and giving customers accurate information.
• Food Safety and Hygiene for Retail Level 2 — safe storage, temperature control and stock rotation in shops.

Manufacturers may prefer Food Safety and Hygiene for Manufacturing Level 2, and caterers Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering Level 2. We do not offer a Level 3 food safety course. Any three courses cost £18 with the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Add them to the cart and the discount applies automatically. These are CPD accredited awareness courses, not regulated qualifications.

Frequently asked questions

What are the mandatory requirements for a food label in the UK?

Prepacked food must show the name of the food, ingredients with allergens emphasised, quantities of key ingredients, net quantity, a best-before or use-by date, storage conditions, the business name and UK address, country of origin where needed, alcoholic strength for drinks over 1.2% and, for most foods, a nutrition declaration.

Is it illegal to sell food after its best-before date?

No. Best-before dates relate to quality, not safety, and the FSA says food can be supplied after them. The food must still be fit to eat and of the quality customers expect. Selling food past its use-by date is a criminal offence.

Does food sold loose need a label?

Loose food does not need a full label. In England you must give the name of the food (except for most catering), allergen information, a meat percentage for some meat products, and say if it has been irradiated. This can be on a ticket or notice where the customer chooses the food.

Do homemade foods need nutrition labels?

Not always. Food directly supplied by the manufacturer of small quantities to the final consumer, or to local shops that sell directly to consumers, is exempt from the mandatory nutrition declaration. Allergen and other labelling rules still apply. Check with your local authority if unsure.

Who checks food labels?

Local authority trading standards and environmental health officers enforce food labelling law. For most issues they can serve an improvement notice. Allergen failures and net weight problems can lead straight to prosecution, and misleading labels are an offence under the Food Safety Act 1990.

Get the label right before it leaves the kitchen

£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.

This article is general information, not legal advice. It summarises the assimilated Food Information to Consumers Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, the Food Information Regulations 2014 (England), the Food Safety Act 1990 and FSA and government guidance as they apply at the time of writing. Rules differ in places in Scotland, Wales and especially Northern Ireland, and specific products may be covered by additional compositional rules. For advice on a particular product, contact your local authority trading standards or food safety team. A Nexis CPD course is CPD accredited but is not a regulated qualification.