Food labelling explained

On the front of the packaging you must display the product name, a ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date, important warnings about the product and quantity or volume.

For the quantity, this should be the net value in grams, kilograms, millilitres or litres. It has to be included on all packaged food over 5g or 5ml. For food that is sold by number, as long as you can see the number of items inside, you don’t need to display the weight or volume.  

Natasha’s Law was announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2019 and came into effect October 2021. It requires all food businesses to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packaged food.

Pre-packaged food will have to clearly display this information on the packaging:

• Name of the food
• Full ingredients list
• Allergenic ingredients emphasised

Natasha’s law is applicable to foods that are pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) on the same site they were produced. PPDS products must be labelled with a description of the item, the full ingredients and any of the 14 key allergens.

How can Avery help?

We have created a template that allows you to edit and add your ingredients. 

Open Template 

If you want to find out more about Natasha’s Law, visit Natashas-law.com  

The following information doesn’t need to be included on the front but should be on other areas of the package.

• If you have more than two ingredients you must display the full list.  
• Name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller.
• The lot number.
• Storage conditions.
• Instructions for use or cooking.

If your products use food allergens as ingredients or processing aids this must be stated on your labels. Allergens should be declared within the ingredients list and these need to stand out from other ingredients. This can be done by listing them in bold, highlighting in a different colour or underlining. It can also be helpful to add a statement with allergy advice. This could simply be ‘Allergy advice: see ingredients in bold.”

Avery has a wide range of products that you can use to label products. From glossy product labels, splash proof bottle labels, to the smaller pricing labels, you are sure to find the best labels for your products.

Along with our FREE software, Avery Design & Print, you will be able to create your own customised labels, print and stick straight onto your products.