Food labelling
The Environmental Health Service has enforcement responsibility, where Food Standards Scotland (FFS) has policy responsibility on food information, food labelling, food standards and nutrition labelling in Scotland.
Guidance is available on the Food Standards Scotland website.
New legislation, which will require food businesses in Scotland to include the product name and full ingredients on food sold prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), comes into force on 1 October 2021 in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Find out more on the Food Standards Scotland website.
Food labels must have sufficient information on the label to allow the consumer to make an informed choice when purchasing food.
Most foods must by law have the following information on their labels:
- the name of the food - the description must be accurate so that it does not mislead the consumer
- a list of ingredients - the list must be in descending order by weight. If an ingredient is mentioned in the name then the amount contained in the food must be shown as a percentage
- an indication of durability - a 'use by' or 'best before' date
- any special storage conditions.
- name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller
- place of origin
- instructions for use
- allergens present - if a food contains a known allergen (there are 14 at present) it must be highlighted on the label
More information can be found in the Food Information Regulations 2014