Food labeling – This is what you need to know

Packaged foods have to be labelled – this you know for sure. However, there are certain things to consider when you’re creating your artwork.

There are both mandatory and optional label elements. As the name already reveals mandatory elements have to printed on the product whereas optional elements can be left out. But if you decide to use them anyway, they’ll have to comply with the regulations. The most important mandatory elements will be explained in the following paragraphs.

Font size

The size of mandatory elements (such as ingredients, nutritional values, allergens etc.) must be at least 1.2 mm – measured by the height of the letter x. Of course the letters can be much bigger. However, there are some exceptions and variations regarding minimum font size, e.g. the element of filling quantity.

Field of vision

The field of vision is the area on a packaging that can be seen from a single perspective. The food’s name, its net weight and the alcohol content of alcoholic beverages above 1.2% vol must be placed withing one field of vision.

Ingredients

Make sure to write the word “ingredients:” always in front of the list that follows naming all ingredients in descending order by weight. A compound ingredient requires to be followed by a list of its components. If a certain ingredient is either explicitly mentioned in the product’s name, graphically highlighted or of great importance for the product’s character, its percentage must be stated in the ingredients list. In addition, allergens have to be emphasized in any way (in bold or capital letters).

Best before date

The BBD’s exact wording is given (“best before: mm/yyyy or dd/mm/yyyy”) and mustn’t be changed or abbreviated. In case the product’s shelf life is more than 3 months you can also print “best before end: mm/yyyy” or even the year only, but be aware to state the batch number. Food that spoils very quickly (like raw meat or milk) has to be labelled with a use-by date. Click here to find additional information about shelf life: Best Before Date on Products (alphacaps-healthcare.com)

These information only cover a part of all mandatory label elements. We’ll gladly help you with your product declaration – contact us at any time!