Food Labelling
Food labels enable consumers to make informed choices about their foods. To ensure consumer protection, labels must not be inaccurate, mislead or make false claims. All food businesses must comply with the food labelling laws, which are enforced in Derry City Council by Environmental Health in the Food Safety Team.
Basic information is required by law to appear on labels of most pre-packed foods and includes the following:
- The name of the food
- A list of ingredients
- The amount of an ingredient which is named or associated with the food
- “Best Before” or “Use by” date
- Any special storage conditions
- The name of business and manufacturer
- The place of origin
- The process used in manufacturing
- Instructions for use
The presence of any allergens must be clearly stated on the labelling e.g. milk, certain nuts. They can be stated in the name of the food or identified by wording such as “This food contains the following allergens”.
If a nutritional claim is made then the labelling must give all the nutritional information given in the form laid out in the Food Labelling Regulations 1996. If no nutritional claim is being made then there is no requirement to give the nutritional information, although a lot of manufacturers do for the benefit of the consumer.
This labelling information must be clearly legible, indelible, conspicuous and easy to understand. The name of the food, date mark, weight or quantity and alcohol strength by volume (if required) must all be in the same field of vision. The field of vision is the amount of visible label you can see when looking at the food.
In addition to English other languages may be included on the label. It is illegal to sell food with a label that does not include an English translation.
Derry City Council, Environmental Health Food Team take carry out regular inspections and sampling from manufacturers and retailers relating to the quality and labelling of food.
For further information on food labelling see the Food Standards Agency websites:
www.eatwell.gov.uk/foodlabels
www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes
Contact
Karen Phillips
Senior Environmental Health Officer
Food Control/Infectious Diseases
Genevieve McWilliams
Senior Environmental Health Officer
Food Control/Infectious Diseases