Labelling

The law requires certain information to be given on all pre-packed foods to ensure that the consumer is protected and informed. The guidelines are laid down by the EU [EU: the European Union - a community of European states with its own parliament and laws. The UK is a member. ].

Look at the can of peas below. These are the items on the label that are required by law.

• manufacturer's name and contact details
• name of the product
• description of the product
• weight (NB - some foods are exempt, for example bread)
• ingredients (listed in descending order of weight)
• cooking/heating instructions
• storage instructions
• best-before date
• the process used for manufacture

Enlarge image

The following items are not legal requirements, but are nevertheless good practice and often included on packaging:

• illustration of product
• price
• nutritional values of the product
• customer guarantee
• the batch-code and bar-code numbers
• opening instructions

Click the "enlarge image" button to see the labels

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