Food labelling
Food labelling
Information is provided on the packaging of food
and drink products to help consumers make
choices between different products, brands and
flavours.
There is a legal requirement to provide certain
information on food labels.
Cont’d
Information for consumers
The following information must appear by law on food labels:
name of food or drink;
list of ingredients (including additives and allergens);
weight or volume;
date mark;
storage and preparation conditions.
Information for consumers
• name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller;
• country of origin and place of provenance;
• nutrition information (compulsory on all pre-packed foods from
December 2016).
Additional information may also be provided, such as cooking
instructions or serving suggestions.
Name of 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.
Name of food
• The name must also describe the differences between apparently similar
products.
• For example, ‘fruit yogurt’ differentiates it from yogurt using artificial flavourings.
Ingredients
• All of the ingredients of a product are listed in descending order of weight,
according to the amounts that were used to make the food.
• Food additives and water must also be included in the list if they have been
added
Cont’d
The amount of ingredients used in a product will also be stated where:
the ingredient (e.g. lamb curry) or category of ingredients (e.g. beef and
mushroom pie) appears in the name of the food;
it is usually associated with that name by the consumer, e.g. lamb in
shepherds pie;
it is emphasised by the labelling in words, pictures or graphics;
the ingredient is essential to characterise the food.
Allergens
• Within the European Union, any of the 14 foods listed on the
following slide used in a pre-packed food, need to be
emphasised in the ingredients list (e.g. bold, capitals,
highlighting).
• An allergy advice statement may also be used to direct
consumers to the ingredient list for allergen information.
• If there is a chance that a food may also contain minute
amounts of allergen because it is produced on the same line
or in the same factory as other products that contain
ingredients known to cause allergy, an additional voluntary
statement with the word ‘also’ may follow, e.g. Also, not
suitable for customers with peanut allergy.
Cont’d
• 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.
Cont’d
The most common allergens are present in:
• celery;
• cereals containing gluten (such as
• wheat, barley, rye and oats);
• crustaceans (such as lobster and crab);
• eggs;
• fish;
• lupins;
• cow’s milk;
• molluscs (such as mussels and oysters);
Cont’d
The most common allergens are present in:
• 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.
Weight and 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.
• The net weight or volume of a product must be within a few grams or millilitres
of the quantity stated on the label.
• If the product weighs less than 5g or 5ml, the weight need not be stated;
however, this does not apply to spices and herbs.
Cont’d
• The symbol ‘e’ is used to show that the weight complies with the EU
requirement for weight under the ‘average system’, i.e. the average
pack is at least the weight declared.
• For solid foods that are presented in a liquid medium, e.g. canned
tuna in brine, the drained net weight of the food should be included
on the packaging.
Date marks
There are two different date marks that appear on
food labels
• ‘Use-by’ - found on perishable foods, e.g. milk,
red meat, fish. Foods are not safe to eat after
this date.
• ‘Best before’ - found on a wide range of foods
including frozen, dried and canned foods. ‘Best
before’ dates are about quality, not safety, and
are reliant on the food being stored according to
the instructions on the label.
Storage and preparation
• In cases where foods require special storage conditions
and/or conditions of use, these must be clearly indicated.
• When necessary, instructions on how to prepare and cook
the food must also be given on the label. If the food has to
be heated, the temperature of the oven and the cooking
time should be stated.
• Instructions may also be given for heating in a microwave
oven. These instructions should ensure the food tastes its
best and that it will be thoroughly heated to a core
temperature of 75°C, which minimizes the risk of food
poisoning.
Name and address of the manufacturer, 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.
Country of origin and place of provenance
• The label must display clearly where the food
has come from if it would be misleading not to
show it. It has also become mandatory to show
origin information for most fresh and frozen
meat.
• The origin of the main ingredients will have to be
given if different from where the final product is
made.
Back of pack labelling
Back of pack nutrition labelling will be compulsory
on all pre-packed foods from December 2016.
Back of pack nutrition labelling is already provided
on many foods.
Cont’d
• Nutrients have to be listed in a certain order – energy (both
in kJ and kcal) and the amounts of fat, saturates,
carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt (in place of
‘sodium’ which is no longer permitted).
• The information has to be given in per 100g/ml but can
additionally be given:
• per portion or per consumption unit (e.g. per slice);
as % Reference Intakes.
Cont’d
• Information of the following nutrients can be provided in a
voluntary basis: mono and poly-unsaturates, polyols, starch and
fibre. Information on certain approved vitamins and minerals can
be listed if present in significant amounts.
• If a nutrition claim is made it becomes mandatory to give
information about that nutrient even if it is not listed in the
regulation.
• For example if the claim ‘high in omega 3’ was made then the
amount of omega 3 per 100g would have to be given.
Front of pack labelling
• In the UK, most of the major
supermarkets and many food
manufacturers voluntarily display
nutritional information on the front of pre-
packaged food and drinks.
• The government’s recommended format
is red, amber, green colour-coding and
percentage Reference Intakes.
• Front-of-pack information will remain
voluntary under the new Regulation.
Reference Intakes
The new regulations feature Reference Intakes. Energy or nutrient Reference Intake
• ‘Reference intakes for energy and selected Energy 8400kJ/2000kcal
nutrients other than vitamins and minerals’ Total fat 70g
are equivalent to GDA (Guideline's Daily Saturates 20g
Amount) used in the UK in the past. Carbohydrate 260g
• Reference intakes for energy and other Sugars 90g
selected nutrients are shown.
Protein 50g
• Nutritional information can be provided as a Salt 6g
percentage of the Reference Intake.
Group -1 Yabsira 1
Group – 2 Amira 5
Group – 3 Anteneh 6
Group – 4 Tekalgn 3
Group – 5 Tigist4
Group – 6 Hirut 2