Prepacked food and labelling
Just about all prepacked food will need to have a food label that shows all of the necessary information about the product. Keep in mind that all food has to adhere to typical food labelling requirements and it needs to be correct without misleading buyers.
There are particular foods that have regulations that are product specific and some of them are as follows:
- honey
- flour and bread
- coffee
- fish
- sugar
- infant formula
- milk products
- chocolate and cocoa
- marmalade and jam
- fats that are spreadable
- various meat and meat products such as pies, burgers, sausages
- mineral water
- nectar and fruit juices
- irradiated food
- Genetically modified foods
Included information
There is certain information that must be placed on food labels and packaging and they are as follows:
Food name
The food’s name must be placed on the package and it should be clear without any misleading statements.
In the event that the food has a law prescribed name, this has to be utilized
If the food doesn’t have a particular legal name, then you can use a custom name. In most cases, it is best to use an established name that customers easily understand.
In the event that a custom name isn’t used or one simply doesn’t exist, then a description of the food item will have to be used. This description should be clear and indicate to the consumer exactly what the food is and how they can identify it from other similar products. The vast majority of products that are like this will need to use descriptive names on their packaging.
When food is processed in certain ways, the method of processing also needs to be shown on the package, in the title. Good examples of this include dried fruit, smoked turkey, honey roasted peanuts, etc.
Essentially, food that is processed is food that has been changed in particular ways while being prepared.
Ingredient list
If the product that you’re selling contains 2+ ingredients, then you will have to list them in the ingredients section of your label. Do note that water and additives are included as separate ingredients.
You will need to list your ingredients according to their weight where the ingredient that is used the most, has to be listed first.
There are certain foods to which you don’t have to add a list of ingredients. This includes vegetables, fruit, water, and other foods that are made up of one ingredient. See here for embossed labels UK.
Information on allergens
If food has any allergens, then these need to be shown in the ingredient list by law. There are 14 main allergens that will have to be shown if they exist within the food product.
It is also necessary to emphasize the existence of any allergens in the food product on the label. This means that they need to be written utilizing a different font, colour, bolded text, style, etc. This will allow consumers to easily determine the ingredients and ensure that people who are allergic to certain foods can avoid products that contain them.
QUID or Quantitative declaration of ingredients
QUID informs people of the number of specific ingredients that exist within the food product. This is particularly necessary when the ingredients:
- are shown within the title or name of the product and it is a term that is typically understood by consumers.
- are shown on the label either through words or images
- are important in order to describe the food product and ensure it is easily distinguished from various similar food products that it can be easily confused for.
The quantities of various ingredients need to be clearly shown as a percentage that is relevant to the amount that the product contains. It should also be displayed next to the ingredient item or category that it represents.
