In the UK food industry, essential regulations around food labelling are in place to ensure everyone can enjoy safe dining experiences when eating out. With around 1 in 4 adults and children enjoying meals outside the home at least once a week, it’s important for businesses to provide clear transparency around ingredients, nutrition and portion sizes. From a nutrition point of view, eating out can sometimes lead to higher intakes of salt, sugar, and fats, as well as larger portions than home-cooked meals, potentially leading to an increase in calorie consumption. Having these important regulations helps consumers to make better choices when dining out.
Nutrition and Health Claims legislation
The Nutrition and Health Claims legislation, introduced in 2006, helps ensure people get access to accurate and trustworthy information when choosing food products. This legislation helps food service businesses communicate the benefits of their food products clearly and responsibly, helping to provide your customers with the information they need to purchase and eat with confidence. It’s designed to support businesses in highlighting the nutritional value of their offerings through two key categories, nutrition claims and health claims. Let’s explore both:
1. Nutrition claims
Any claim which states, suggests, or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties due to:
- The energy (calorific value) it:
- Provides
- Provides at a reduced or increased rate or
- Does not provide
- The nutrients or other substances it:
- Contains
- Contains in reduced or increased proportions or
- Does not contain
EG. Low fat OR reduced sugar
Nutrition claims are only permitted if they are listed in the Annex of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 lastly amended by Regulation (EU) NO 1047/2012. Currently there are 30 permittable nutrition claims which are detailed below:
2. Health claims
A health claim is a statement about the relationship between food and health. The EU Commission authorises different health claims provided they are based on scientific evidence and can be easily understood by consumers.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for evaluating the scientific evidence supporting health claims and a heavily detailed authorization procedure must be adhered to before a claim is used.
There are 4 types of health claims:
- General, non-specific health claims
- Health claims other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk
- Reduction of disease risk health claims. For example, Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease.
- Claims referring to children’s growth and development. For example, Vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development of bones in children.
The regulation applies to product packaging, the internet, social media, advertising and promotions, B2B communication and menus. Within the food service industry all communications must comply with these regulations. In addition, using healthy logos or terms such as ‘superfoods’ are general health claims and must be substantiated by a specific approved health claim. For example, “provides a source of calcium to support normal bones”.
These regulations are enforced by Trading Standards and the Environmental Health Officers. Potential implications are products being recalled or fines for every mislabeled product or communication plus the cost of packaging write offs/administration to the business.
Calorie labelling on menus
The introduction of mandatory calorie labelling for out-of-home dining on April 6th, 2021, is a positive step towards helping consumers make informed choices when enjoying meals out. This regulation applies to a wide range of outlets, including restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, meal delivery services, and catering operations (for businesses with more than 250 employees). By providing clear calorie information on menus, these guidelines not only give diners control over what they consume, but also encourage businesses to explore healthier options and reduce calorie content in their dishes. With rising concerns about obesity and related health conditions, this initiative is part of the UK Government’s broader effort to support healthier lifestyles and improve public health.
Under current legislation, all pre-packed food and drink must display nutritional information, making it easier for consumers to understand the calorie content of the products they buy. This includes the “big 8” key nutrients, along with any additional nutrients linked to specific health claims. There are also separate requirements for alcohol and supplements, ensuring clear and consistent information across different types of products.
The big 8: Protein, carbohydrate, total sugars, total fats (saturated and unsaturated), fibre and sodium.
There are a few exemptions to the legislation, such as loose fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as unprocessed single-ingredient items like walnuts or herbs. Loaves of bread, baguettes, and individual cuts of meat or fish are also exempt from these labelling requirements.
When it comes to displaying the calorie information the main points to consider are:
- Displaying the energy content of the food in kilocalories
- Ensuring the portion size for the item is referenced
- Displaying the statement that ‘adults need around 2000 kcal a day’
Food allergy labelling
In the UK, food labelling is guided by the Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FICR) 2014. This ensures clear and consistent allergen labelling on pre-packaged food, as well as meals served in restaurants, cafes, and other out-of-home settings. This also applies to foodservice in commercial catering operations, making it easier for consumers to identify allergens when dining out.
There are 14 key allergens that must be clearly labelled on prepacked foods or those made for direct sale. These include:
- Celery
- Cereals containing gluten
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Lupin
- Milk
- Molluscs
- Mustard
- Tree Nuts
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Soya
- Sulphur Dioxide
In addition to the FICR, Natasha’s Law was introduced on October 1st, 2021, following a campaign by her parents to improve allergy labelling after she tragically consumed a baguette containing unlabelled sesame seeds. This law applies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and requires all food outlets to provide full ingredient lists with clear allergen labelling on foods pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS). This covers items prepared and packed on the same premises where they are sold, including foods selected from a display or packed by staff on request. While foods made to order, like deli sandwiches or salads, don’t need labelling, allergen information must be readily available upon request.
Currently, there is a gap in allergen labelling for food consumed outside the home, as there are no unified legislative guidelines. Owens Law is a proposed initiative aiming to build on Natasha’s Law, focusing more on allergen labelling in restaurants and eateries. While Natasha’s Law covers pre-packed foods for direct sale, Owens Law seeks to ensure allergen information is clearly written on menus or at the point of ordering, reducing the need for customers to ask and helping to prevent communication errors between diners and staff. Supported by the Food Standards Agency, the proposal includes a full allergy matrix for each dish, allowing customers to easily identify allergens. It also suggests that restaurants should initiate conversations about allergies, a practice that many businesses and restaurants already follow.
There is still a lot of work to be done within the retail and out-of-home sectors when it comes to food labelling as a whole. Today we are experiencing higher levels of food allergies in the general population than ever before with an estimated 6% living with a food allergy.
UK food labelling software solutions
If UK food labelling regulations feel a little overwhelming, you’re not alone, and our team is here to help. Whether you’re looking to ensure compliance with calorie labelling, health and nutrition claims, or allergy information, we can guide you through the process to keep your business on track, your staff happy, and your customers eating with confidence. The rules and regulations around food labelling will always evolve, and with a growing focus on transparency, it’s essential to stay on top of requirements.
Reach out today to discuss how we can support your food labelling needs and strive for a safer, more inclusive food industry.
