| By law, almost every food product sold in the UK's | | | | goods - but when sold on a smaller scale such as |
| shops must have some kind of labelling or marking to | | | | from a market stall or as individual pieces of fruit or |
| give consumers certain important information. These | | | | vegetables, such information is both largely |
| rules don't apply uniformly to all food products; fresh | | | | unnecessary and incredibly unlikely. |
| groceries such as raw vegetables or fruit, for example, | | | | Of course many labels for food goods will contain far |
| are often sold without the printed labels seen on tinned | | | | more than just the information required by law. This |
| or packaged goods. | | | | space is a valuable method of selling the product to |
| Even then, any retailer beyond the private trader | | | | the customer by standing out from competitor |
| market stall level will generally make sure that printed | | | | products often held on the same shelf. |
| labels bearing this information is present on nearby | | | | This isn't a new practice, though obviously modern |
| shelving - or at least as much information as can be | | | | technology makes it easier to convey such information |
| provided for fresh produce. If you look at the Food | | | | through printed labels and glossy packaging. At one |
| Labelling Regulations act of 1996, you'll see that some | | | | point though, there was no legal obligation for this |
| of its criteria isn't really appropriate for some goods. | | | | information to necessarily be true. In the past, it was |
| Food must be marked or labelled with: | | | | common for foods such as beer, flour or spices to be |
| The name of the food | | | | adulterated with cheaper ingredients that were not |
| A list of ingredients, particularly food allergens | | | | only poor quality and deceived the customer - they |
| The amount of an ingredient within the food's | | | | could also be potentially dangerous. |
| composition if it is named or associated with the food | | | | Today though, the FSA (soon to have its powers |
| An appropriate indicator of durability (best before | | | | transferred to the Department of Environment, Food |
| use by) | | | | and Rural Affairs) keeps a watchful eye on food |
| Any special storage conditions - refrigeration | | | | manufacturers and retailers to ensure that consumers |
| freezing/dry storage | | | | are protected against dishonest labelling and costs. |
| The place of origin, if failure to reveal this would | | | | This ranges from protecting certain food names on a |
| mislead the consumer | | | | legal basis - for example, "chocolate" must have a |
| As you can see, it would be largely futile to list the | | | | certain amount of cocoa solids to be called as such - |
| name, ingredients or storage conditions for most fresh | | | | to requiring correct quantities to be given on labels or |
| produce. Admittedly, when these goods are sold in bulk | | | | for the use of fillers such as water or fibres to extend |
| packages at large grocery retailers often include a | | | | a product. |
| sell-by-date, place of origin and how best to store the | | | | |