UK Food and Drink Market Overview

Sector-specific market intelligence: Market size, trends, and opportunities in UK food and drink

Manufacturing Output: £104 billion (largest UK manufacturing sector)
Employment: 430,000 workers in food manufacturing
Exports: £24 billion annually
Key Trends: Plant-based, sustainability, local sourcing, direct-to-consumer

Food and drink is the UK's largest manufacturing sector, with opportunities from artisan producers to large-scale manufacturing. Consumer trends toward sustainability, health, and provenance create openings for innovative products.

Government support includes the Food and Drink Sector Council, Innovate UK funding for food innovation, and export support through the Department for Business and Trade.

Food and Drink Regulatory Overview

Sector-specific regulatory guide: Key regulators and compliance requirements for food and drink businesses

Food and drink businesses must meet strict safety, labelling, and hygiene requirements:

Food Standards Agency (FSA): Food safety policy, allergen requirements, novel foods approval
Local Authority Environmental Health: Food business registration, hygiene inspections, food hygiene ratings
Trading Standards: Labelling accuracy, weights and measures, product descriptions
Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA): Export health certificates, animal product regulations
Environment Agency: Trade effluent discharge, packaging waste obligations

All food businesses must register with their local authority (free) at least 28 days before opening. Food handlers should have appropriate training, and premises must meet hygiene standards for inspection.

Overview of Food Information Regulations

The Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR) establish the enforcement measures for assimilated Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, referred to as Food Information to Consumers (FIC). These regulations govern all mandatory food information that must be provided to consumers.

Since 1 January 2024, directly applicable EU legislation became assimilated law, published on legislation.gov.uk. The Food Information Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/1855) apply in England only. Wales and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent instruments (the Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the Food Information Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014), and Scotland has the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 enforced by Food Standards Scotland. The underlying requirements derive from assimilated Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and are aligned across all four nations.

Food Information Regulations 2014 (FIR)

Requires pre-packed food to display mandatory information including name, ingredients list, allergen information, net quantity, date marking, storage conditions, business name and address, country of origin, and nutritional information. Allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list. Controls on voluntary nutrition and health claims.

Mandatory information on pre-packed food

All pre-packed food must display:

Name of the food: Legal name (e.g., 'strawberry jam' not 'fruity spread')
Ingredients list: In descending order by weight, with allergens emphasised
Allergen information: 14 allergens emphasised (bold, italics, or contrasting colour)
Net quantity: Weight or volume in metric units
Date marking: 'Use by' (safety) or 'Best before' (quality)
Storage conditions: If special conditions needed
Business name and address: Responsible food business operator
Country of origin: If omission would mislead
Instructions for use: If necessary
Nutrition declaration: Energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, salt (per 100g/ml)
Alcohol content: For drinks exceeding 1.2% ABV

The 14 major allergens requiring emphasis

Cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut)
Crustaceans (prawns, crab, lobster)
Eggs
Fish
Peanuts
Soybeans
Milk (including lactose)
Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts)
Celery
Mustard
Sesame seeds
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations above 10mg/kg)
Lupin
Molluscs (mussels, oysters, squid)

Exemptions from nutrition declaration

Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover/balance sheet below €2 million are exempt from nutrition labelling for products they manufacture. Other exemptions include unprocessed single-ingredient products, foods in packages <25cm², and distance-selling where nutrition info is provided before purchase.

Font size requirements

Mandatory information must have x-height (height of lowercase letter 'x') of at least 1.2mm. For packages with largest surface <80cm², minimum x-height is 0.9mm.

Label requirements review: Review all product labels against FIR mandatory requirements checklist
Allergen emphasis: Ensure all 14 allergens are emphasised in ingredients lists (bold/italic/colour)
Nutrition information: Verify nutrition information is present and correctly calculated per 100g/ml
Font size compliance: Check font sizes meet minimum x-height requirements (1.2mm or 0.9mm)
Importer address: Ensure UK address of importer is shown for imported products
Date marking accuracy: Ensure 'Use by' dates are used for microbiologically perishable foods (not 'Best before')
Claims compliance: Verify compliance with EU Regulation 1924/2006 if making nutrition or health claims
Record keeping: Keep records of label approval and ingredient specifications

Food labelling and packaging

Three types of food under FIR

The regulations categorise food into three types with different information requirements:

1. Prepacked food: Food put into packaging before being offered for sale, where contents cannot be altered without opening/changing packaging. Must have full ingredients list on packaging with allergens emphasised.

2. Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS): Food packed on the same premises from which it is sold (e.g., sandwiches made and sold in the same shop). Since October 2021 (Natasha's Law), must have name, full ingredients list with allergens emphasised, and date marking on label.

3. Non-prepacked (loose) foods: Food sold without packaging. Allergen information must be available but can be provided orally, on menus, chalkboards, or tickets. If provided orally, must display notice saying "ask staff for allergen information".

The 14 major allergens requiring emphasis

All food businesses must be able to identify and declare the 14 major allergens in their products:

The 14 Major Allergens Under UK Food Law

The 14 allergens that must be declared under UK food labelling regulations. This list is mandated by EU Regulation 1169/2011 (retained in UK law) and applies to all food businesses including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and catering.

Under UK food law, the following 14 allergens must always be declared when present as ingredients, whether in pre-packed food, non-prepacked food, or food prepacked for direct sale.

1. Cereals containing gluten: Wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, and their hybridised strains
2. Crustaceans: Prawns, crab, lobster, crayfish, and related species
3. Eggs: Eggs and products containing eggs from all bird species
4. Fish: Fish and fish products (except fish gelatine used as carrier for vitamins/carotenoids or as fining agent in beer/wine)
5. Peanuts: Peanuts and products containing peanuts (also known as groundnuts)
6. Soybeans: Soybeans and products containing soybeans (with limited exemptions for refined oil and tocopherols)
7. Milk: Milk, milk products, and lactose (with limited exemptions for whey in distillates and lactitol)
8. Nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and their products
9. Celery: Celery including celeriac (celery root) and celery leaves
10. Mustard: Mustard seeds, powder, and products containing mustard
11. Sesame: Sesame seeds and products containing sesame
12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites: At concentrations above 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre (expressed as SO2)
13. Lupin: Lupin seeds, flour, and products containing lupin
14. Molluscs: Mussels, oysters, squid, octopus, snails, and related species

How to declare allergens

Allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list using one of these methods:

Bold text
CAPITALS
Underlining
Different colour
Italics

For non-prepacked food, allergen information can be provided verbally if a clear notice directs customers to ask staff. However, written information is strongly recommended.

Allergen guidance for food businesses

1

Classify your food products

Determine whether each product is prepacked, PPDS, or non-prepacked to apply correct labelling requirements.
2

Create compliant labels for prepacked food

Include all mandatory information: name, ingredients with allergens emphasized, quantity, dates, business details, nutrition declaration.
3

Implement PPDS labelling (Natasha's Law)

For food packed on-site, create labels with name, full ingredients list (allergens emphasized), and date marking.
4

Provide allergen information for loose foods

Make written allergen information available (menus, signs) or ensure staff can provide accurate oral information.
5

Display oral allergen signage

If relying on oral allergen information, display clear signage stating 'Ask staff for allergen information'.
6

Train all staff on allergen information

Ensure every team member can accurately identify and communicate allergen presence in all menu items.
7

Review and update regularly

Check labels and allergen information when recipes, suppliers, or ingredients change.

Food Information Regulations 2014 compliance

Selling food online: labelling and safety requirements

Allergen control systems and Natasha's Law

Food and drink regulations and traceability

Food Safety for Childcare Providers

Food labelling requirements

Overview of Food Information Regulations

Three types of food under FIR

The 14 major allergens requiring emphasis

Classify your food products

Create compliant labels for prepacked food

Implement PPDS labelling (Natasha's Law)

Provide allergen information for loose foods

Display oral allergen signage

Train all staff on allergen information

Review and update regularly

Related guides in Food Labelling

Overview of Food Information Regulations

Three types of food under FIR

The 14 major allergens requiring emphasis

Classify your food products

Create compliant labels for prepacked food

Implement PPDS labelling (Natasha's Law)

Provide allergen information for loose foods

Display oral allergen signage

Train all staff on allergen information

Review and update regularly