Food Labelling Regulations 1996
At a glance
Enforced by
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part I — PRELIMINARY
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Interpretation
Exemptions
Part II — FOOD TO BE DELIVERED AS SUCH TO THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER OR TO CATERERS
Browse 36 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Scope of Part II
General labelling requirement
Name prescribed by law
Customary name
Indication of true nature of food
Form of name
Trade marks, brand names and fancy names
Indication of physical condition or treatment
Heading of list of ingredients
Order of list of ingredients
Names of ingredients
Compound ingredients
Added water
Ingredients which need not be named
Foods which need not bear a list of ingredients
Indication of minimum or maximum percentage of ingredients
Form of indication of minimum durability
Form of indication of “use by” date
Foods which need not bear an appropriate durability indication
Food which is not prepacked and similar food, and fancy confectionery products
Indication of additives
Indication of irradiated ingredients
Small packages and certain indelibly marked bottles
Certain food sold at catering establishments
Seasonal selection packs
Food sold from vending machines
Prepacked alcoholic drinks other than Community controlled wine
Raw milk
Products consisting of skimmed milk together with non-milk fat
Foods packaged in certain gases
Foods containing sweeteners, added sugar and sweeteners, aspartame or polyols
General requirement
Food to which regulation 23 or 27 applies
Milk
Intelligibility
Field of vision
Part III — CLAIMS, NUTRITION LABELLING AND MISLEADING DESCRIPTIONS
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Claims
Supplementary provisions relating to claims
Misleading descriptions
The word “wine”
Part IV — OFFENCES AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
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Offences and penalties
Enforcement
Defence in case of alteration of appropriate durability indication
Defence in relation to exports
Application of various sections of the Food Safety Act 1990
Part V — REVOCATIONS, AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISION
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Revocations and amendments
Transitional provision
Schedules
Browse 14 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Fish
Melons
Potatoes
Vitamins
Tenderised meat
Irradiated food
Notes
Neither the specific name nor the serial number need be...
(a) For [vitamins] and [minerals] there shall be substituted, as...
All amounts given— (a) are to be per hundred grams...
In the calculation of the energy value the following conversion...
Any prescribed nutrition labelling shall be presented together in one...
Note
Note
Other sections — not classified into a Part
These sections sit outside the numbered Parts — usually provisions added or moved by later amendments.
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A claim that a food has tonic properties.
Note
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- Register of CAP Code changes - ASA | CAP (opens in a new tab) from ASA Detailed Guidance
- Register of BCAP Code changes - ASA | CAP (opens in a new tab) from ASA Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
Food Standards Agency
Food safety and hygiene regulation across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Enforces food law, provides guidance to food businesses, investigates incidents. Approves …
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Regulators
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