This presentation is the beginner's guide to understanding food labelling and Front-of-Pack (FOP) labelling

1. © IGD 2013
Industry Nutri3on Strategy Group December 2013

2. © IGD 2013
Introduc)on to food labelling
What is the purpose of food labelling?
• Provide consumers with informa3on about their food, helping them to make
informed decisions about which food to buy
• It is important that this informa3on is accurate and not misleading

3. © IGD 2013
Introduc)on to food labelling (con)nued)
Who is responsible for food labelling in the UK?
• The responsibility for food labelling legisla3on and policy in the UK is split across
government departments:
– The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is
responsible for labelling legisla3on in England that is principally non-safety,
and for the coordina3on of labelling policy across Government
– The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for labelling and standards
that are principally safety-based
– The Department of Health is responsible for nutri3on labelling policy in
England
Responsibility for food labelling varies across UK regions:
• For Scotland and Northern Ireland, all domes3c labelling and standards legisla3on
is the responsibility of the FSA
• In Wales responsibility for general labelling requirements rests with the FSA and
responsibility for nutri3on labelling lies with the Welsh Assembly Government

4. © IGD 2013
Labelling legisla)on
Food labelling is subject to strict requirements set out in European legisla3on. To
comply with legisla3on, basic labelling provisions for pre-packaged foods must
include:
• The name of the food (legal or customary name not the brand name)
• A list of ingredients
• Quan3ta3ve declara3on of ingredients (QUID) may be required if the ingredient
used is men3oned in the product name or emphasised by product informa3on e.g
‘chicken’ in chicken pie
• The appropriate date mark
• Any special storage condi3ons, condi3ons of use or prepara3on instruc3ons
• The name or business name and an address or registered office of either or both of
–
(i) the manufacturer or packer, or
(ii) a seller established within the European Community
• Par3culars of the place of origin or provenance of the food if failure to give these
might mislead a purchaser to a material degree as to the true origin or provenance
of the food
• The weight or volume of the food

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Labelling legisla)on (con)nued)
Ingredient
list
STORE IN A COOL DRY PLACE
Made in the UK by The Manufacturer, Customer
Services Department, FREEPOST ABC, Postcode
AB1 1AB
Storage
condi3ons
Name and
address of
manufacturer
500g e
Best
before: 12
Feb 2011
Wheatmeal biscuits
Ingredients: Wheat flour (54%), Palm Oil,
Wholemeal Wheat Flour (16%), Sugar, Par3ally
Inverted Sugar Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium
Bicarbonate, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid), Salt, Dried
Skimmed Milk
Name of
food
Weight of
food
QUID
Date mark
Basic requirements for a food label:

6. © IGD 2013
Labelling legisla)on (con)nued)
Nutri)on labelling
• The EU Regula3on published in October 2011 on the provision of food informa3on
to consumers (Food Informa3on Regula3on) is mandatory and pre-packed
products already providing nutri3on and ingredient informa3on will need to
implement the following changes.
– All packs with an area >25cm2 will require nutri)on informa)on
• Where nutri3on informa3on is provided it must comply with the regula3on and
shall include:
energy, total fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt
• Previously nutri3on informa3on was provided as either:
i) energy, protein, carbohydrates and fat, (known as a 'Group 1' or 'Big 4' declara3on) or
ii) energy, protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fat, saturates, fibre and sodium (known as a
'Group 2', 'Big 4 + liKle 4' or '4 + 4' declara3on)
The transi)on period for implemen)ng the new labelling format must be
complete by December 2014

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Ingredients list
Current legisla)on requires pre-packed food to be labelled with a list of ingredients
Order of Ingredients
• Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight (with the ingredient present
in greatest quan3ty first), as determined at the 3me they were used in the
prepara3on of the food
Quan)ty of ingredients
• If an ingredient is men3oned in the name of the food (such as ‘chicken’ in chicken
pie), or is emphasised on the label in words (e.g. ‘made with real cream’) or
pictures, or is usually associated with the food (as lamb is with shepherd’s pie), the
amount contained in the food will be given as a percentage. This should appear
either next to the name of the food product, or in the list of ingredients at the
relevant point

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Ingredients list (con)nued)
Addi)ves
• An addi3ve will be listed by the principal func3on it serves (e.g. emulsifier),
followed by its name or E number
• Where an addi3ve has been given an E number, this means that it has passed
safety tests and has been approved for use in the UK and in the rest of Europe.
This includes substances which occur naturally in foods and are used as addi3ves.
Compound ingredients
• Where an ingredient is made up of several other ingredients, all the individual
ingredients will be given in the ingredients list either instead of, or in addi3on to,
the name of the compound food
Foods that do not need to provide a list of ingredients
• Single ingredient foods such, as buier and flour, do not need to give a list of
ingredients, nor do alcoholic drinks (above 1.2% vol.)

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Ingredients list (con)nued)
Quan3ty
declara3on
(QUID)
Compound
ingredient
Ingredients
Pork (70%), Water, Rusk (Wheat Flour, Salt, Raising
Agent: Ammonium Bicarbonate). Potato Starch, Pork
Gelatine, Wheat Flour, Salt, Dextrose, Ground Spice
(Pepper, Nutmeg), Emulsifiers: Sodium Di- and
Tripolyphosphate; Preservative: Sodium Sulphite;
Antioxidants: Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid; Extracted Spice
(Pepper, Capsicum, Ginger, Mace, Nutmeg, Coriander,
Sage).
Filled into pork protein casings.
Addi3ves
Example of a typical ingredient list

10. © IGD 2013
Allergen labelling
• Labelling helps consumers avoid foods which could provoke an allergic reac3on or
food intolerance
• EU legisla3on (EU Direc3ve 2000/13/EC) requires that 14 allergenic food
ingredients, and deriva3ves, be declared on prepacked foods. These include:
*Includes Brazil nuts, hazel nuts, almonds and walnuts. Pine nuts and coconuts are not classed as nuts so they
are not listed as allergens. If these are present as an ingredient in the product they will be listed in the
ingredients list
• It is worth no3ng that peanuts are not true tree nuts, so must ALWAYS be declared
separately from true tree nuts
• Cereals containing gluten • Molluscs
• Celery • Mustard
• Crustaceans • Nuts from trees*
• Eggs • Peanuts
• Fish • Sesame
• Lupin • Soya
• Milk (including lactose) • Sulphites > 10ppm

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Allergen labelling (con)nued)
• Note: some highly processed ingredients that no longer contain allergenic proteins
are exempt e.g. wheat based glucose syrup, fully refined soybean oil
• Where more than one ingredient or processing aid is derived from the same
allergen e.g. skimmed milk powder and caseinates (both from milk), it would be
necessary to make it clear for each ingredient concerned.
• Allergenic ingredients should be highlighted in the ingredient list in a way that
clearly dis3nguishes it from the rest of the list of ingredients, such as a dis3nc3ve
font, bold type or a background colour.
• If the allergen is not clear from the ingredient name, the named allergen must
appear next to the ingredient e.g. Casein (milk). Allergens are no longer permiied
in a separate allergen box.
• Example:
Ingredients: Cooked egg pasta (water, Durum wheat, egg), Beef, Tomatoes,
Cheddar cheese (milk) Single cream (milk), Carrot, Onion, Celery, wheat flour,
Rapeseed oil, Butter (milk), oregano, English Mustard

12. © IGD 2013
Allergen labelling (con)nued)
Gluten
• The composi3on and labelling of foods for people intolerant to gluten is governed
by EU legisla3on
• The gluten content of any food labelled “gluten free” must not exceed 20 mg/kg
• Very low gluten claims can be made on foods, made from wheat, rye, barley and/
or oats (or their crossbred varie3es), that are specially processed to reduce the
level of gluten to <=100 mg/kg
• These rules mean that the phrase 'suitable for coeliacs' can only be used alongside
the terms 'gluten free' or 'very low gluten' and cannot be used on its own

13. © IGD 2013
Date marking
There are two types of date marking, ‘best before’ and ‘use by’:
Best before
• Used for most foods and indicates the period for which a food can reasonably be
expected to retain its op3mum condi3on quality (eg it will not be stale)
• The best before date is shown as the day, month and year in that order
• Alterna3vely:
Ø For food expected to keep for 3 months or less, the best before
date may be shown as the day and month
Ø For foods expected to keep for more than 3 months but no
longer than 18 months, the date mark may be shown as ‘best
before end’ followed by the month and year
Ø For foods expected to keep for more than 18 months, the date
mark may be shown as ‘best before end’ followed by the date in
terms of the month and year or the year only

14. © IGD 2013
Date marking (con)nued)
Use by
• The use by date is for food safety. These foods have a shelf life of a rela3vely short
period, ater which their consump3on would present a risk of food poisoning
• The use by date is the date up to and including when the food may be used safely
(eg cooked or processed or consumed) if it has been stored correctly
– For example, ‘use by 10 May’ means use by midnight on 10 May
• Once a food with a use by date on it has been opened, any instruc3ons for use
should be followed
– For example ‘eat within three days of opening’
• The use by date overrides any instruc3on on use of the food once opened.
– For example, if the food is opened the 9 May, and the use by date is 10 May, the food
should not be consumed beyond midnight on 10 May even if it says to eat within 3 days
of opening

15. © IGD 2013
Date marking (con)nued)
Other date marks
• Best before and use by are the only forms of date marking required by
law and are for use by consumers
• Best before and use by dates should not be confused with retailer
markings such as ‘sell by’ or ‘display un3l’ which are instruc3ons to
shop staff
Freezing food
• If a food can be frozen, its life can be extended beyond the use by date
• However, any instruc3ons on the pack must be followed. For example,
– ‘freeze on day of purchase’
– ‘cook from frozen’
– ‘defrost thoroughly before use and use within 24 hours’

16. © IGD 2013
Front of pack nutri)on informa)on
• Nutri3on informa3on can be provided on the front of food packaging to give consumers
a quick guide to the nutrient content of the product.
• In October 2011 an EU Regula3on on the provision of food informa3on to consumers
(Food Informa3on Regula3on) was published, sta3ng that in addi3on to mandatory back
of pack nutri3on informa3on, front of pack nutri3on labelling may also be used.
• Two systems for front of pack labelling have been in existence since before development
of the Food Informa3on Regula3on The two systems are: Guideline Daily Amounts (Now
referred to as Reference Intakes) and traffic light colour coding.
Calories in one
por3on or serving of
the food
The percentage of your
Reference Intakes of
calories that a por3on of
this food gives you
Guideline Daily Amounts (Now Reference
Intakes)
• RIs tell you the amount of calories, sugar, fat,
saturated fat (saturates) and salt a por3on of
that food provides
• The informa3on given on the front of pack is
the quan3ty in grams of each nutrient provided
by a por3on of the food, and this quan3ty
expressed as a percentage of the RI for that
nutrient
RIs are a guide, not a target, and are based on an ‘average person’. Men and women have different
requirements. RIs are based on the requirements for an average woman

17. © IGD 2013
Front of pack nutri)on informa)on (con)nued)
• The Department of Health has to developed a harmonised front of pack labelling system
with the view that all companies will adopt this consistent approach to make it easier for
consumers to make healthier choices.
• New labelling will include the following informa3on presented consistently per por3on of
food:
– The amount of energy - presented in kilocalories and kilojoules (in equal prominence)
– fat
– saturated fat
– salt
– sugar
• The informa3on will also be presented as a percentage of an adult’s ‘Reference Intake’ -
and will show how much of the maximum daily intake a por3on accounts for
• A consistent colour-coding system will be used to determine if a nutrient is red, amber or
green (based on per 100g values not per por3on except where the amount in a por3on
exceeds 30% of the RI). Energy will not be colour-coded.
• The system will s3ll be voluntary, but companies are being encouraged to sign up to the
scheme as it now forms one of the pledges under the Public Heath Responsibility Deal.
• Example of Hybrid labelling

18. © IGD 2013
Back of pack nutri)on informa)on
• In October 2011 an EU Regula3on was published, sta3ng that mandatory back of
pack nutri3on informa3on must be provided on pre-packed foods.
• Products currently not declaring any nutri3on informa3on must implement by
December 2016 and products currently providing this informa3on must implement
the necessary changes by December 2014.
• The nutri3on informa3on presented on the back of food packs must be in the form
of a table where space permits.
• This informa3on will always be in the same order and must include energy plus 6
further nutrients.
• Energy is in kcal and kJ per 100g, all other nutrients are given in g per 100g or
100ml of the product as sold
Per 100g
Energy 1500kJ/356kcal
Fat 7.4g
of which: saturates 1.1g
Carbohydrates 58.1g
of which: sugars 16.8g
Protein 9.9g
Salt 0.1g
Sodium is no longer permiied although
a statement can be added explaining salt
can be due to naturally occurring
sodium.

19. © IGD 2013
Back of pack nutri)on informa)on (con)nued)
• In addi3on to this basic requirement some labels may carry informa3on per
por)on
• For products that require further prepara3on but without the addi3on of other
ingredients the informa3on as consumed may be presented if appropriate cooking
instruc3ons are provided within the handling instruc3ons
• The amount of nutrients can be declared as % Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)* per
por3on.
Energy is calculated using the formula:
Kcals=(protein (g) x 4) + (carbohydrate (g) x 4) + (fat(g) x 9) + (fibre (g) x 2)
KJ = (protein (g) x 17) + (carbohydrate (g) x 17) + (fat (g) x 37) + (fibre (g) x 8)
Salt equivalent is calculated
as follows:
Sodium x 2.5
*GDA values are provided as Reference Intakes in the Food Information Regulation and the values differ slightly from UK GDAs.

20. © IGD 2013
Back of pack nutri)on informa)on (con)nued)
• Other nutrients may be added to the nutrient declara3on on a voluntary basis
including polyols, starch, monounsaturates, polyunsaturates, vitamins and
minerals
• The new Food Informa3on Regula3on (FIR) guidance must be implemented by
December 2014 and un3l then some products may display nutri3on informa3on in
the following format. Some products may also list the Reference Intakes* with the
% RI per por3on.

21. © IGD 2013
Nutri)on and health claims
• Nutri3on and health claims made on foods are 3ghtly regulated to ensure that
consumers are not misled by unsubstan3ated, exaggerated or untruthful claims
• Regula3on EC No. 1924/2006 defines how nutri3on and health claims can be made
in labelling, adver3sing, promo3onal campaigns and other commercial
communica3ons
• The regula3on lays down rules for the substan3a3on and communica3on of these
claims.
• Full nutri)on informa)on must be provided on pack whenever a nutri3on or
health claim is made.

22. © IGD 2013
Nutri)on claims
Content claims e.g ‘contains calcium’, etc
• Can only be made if they are on a list in
the Annex to regula3on 1924/2006
• Only the vitamins and minerals listed in
the Regula3on may be added to foods
and must be present in sufficient
quan3ty in the food to have beneficial
effects
• No nutri3on or health claims can be
made for micronutrients with levels less
than 15% RDA per serving ‘as
consumed’
• Nutri3on and health claims rela3ng to
beverages containing more than 1.2%
alcohol are prohibited, except those
which refer to a reduc3on in the
alcohol or energy content
Compara)ve claims e.g ‘increased
calcium’, ‘reduced fat’ etc
• May only be made between foods or
drinks in the same category that are
similar in terms of nutri3on content or
are alterna3ves for consump3on (e.g.
spread/buier)
• A compara3ve claim may only be made
with food which itself cannot make the
claim
• Any such claim, may only be made
where the reduc3on in content is at
least 30 % (micronutrients 10%
difference; sodium/salt 25%
difference)
• Nutri3on claims state that a food has beneficial nutri3onal proper3es, e.g.
‘low fat’, ‘no added sugar’, ‘high in fibre’, etc

23. © IGD 2013
Health claims
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for verifying the
scien3fic substan3a3on of health claims. The European Commission then decides
whether to authorise the claim
• Most health claims are so called ‘generic’ health claims, which means that they are
scien3fically well-established, e.g. calcium and strong bones. These may be used
providing the product meets the condi3ons of use
• All other claims, including those for children’s development, and for disease risk
reduc3on, must undergo a specific authorisa3on procedure
• Claims that a food prevents treats or cures a disease (‘Medicinal claims’) are
prohibited
• Health claims state that health benefits can result from consuming a given
food, e.g. ‘vitamin D aids calcium absorp3on for strong bones’

24. © IGD 2013
Nutri)on and health claims con)nued
Condi)ons for the Use of Nutri)on and Health Claims
• The European Commission will develop ‘Nutrient Profiles’ with regard to levels of
saturated fat, sugar and sodium
• Mee3ng the nutrient profile will be a condi3on in order to make nutri3on or
health claims

25. © IGD 2013
Por)on size
Finding por)on size informa)on on food labels
• Por3on size (also labelled as serving size) is normally given with the nutri3on table
on the back of pack
• If the product has nutri3on informa3on on the front of the pack, por3on size may
be shown here too
Por)on size informa)on and labelling regula)ons
• EU Regula3on on the provision of food informa3on to consumers (Food
Informa3on Regula3on) states that mandatory nutri3on informa3on must be
provided on pre-packed foods. Nutri3on informa3on must be given per 100g or
100ml of product and informa3on may also be given voluntarily per por3on.
• If the por3on size is stated it must be quan3fied on the label and the number of
por3ons contained in the package must also be stated.

26. © IGD 2013
Por)on size (con)nued)
Por)on size guidance
Por3on size informa3on may also
be given elsewhere on pack in
addi3on to the nutri3on table.
Examples of por3on size
guidance include:
• This pack contains 4 servings
• As a guide we recommend
this product provides 2
servings
• 1 serving = 2 pieces
• Suggested serving = a
quarter of a pot
• A typical serving is 75g
Example of back of pack nutri)on informa)on showing por)on size
• Nutri3on table for a product in a 200g pot
• Por3on size is 50g or a quarter of a pot
• Informa3on is shown per 100g, as is the legal requirement, and for one quarter of a pot
por3on
Per 100g One-quarter of a
pot (50g)
provides
Energy 1005KJ/245kcal 505KJ/125kcal
Fat 16.8g 8.4g
of which:
saturates
2.0g 1.0g
Carbohydrates 13.3g 6.7g
of which:
sugars
0.2g 0.1g
Protein 9.2g 4.6g
Salt 1.0g 0.5g

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