Food labelling and allergens
The rules about labels for food in England and Wales are very detailed.
- More information about food labelling and packaging [external link]
- What's the difference between 'best before' and 'use by' dates? [external link]
- Guidance for butchers on labels for loose foods [pdf document]
There are various ways that businesses can give allergy information to their customers.
Allergen information for loose foods [pdf document].
Businesses selling loose food, for example:
- restaurants
- cafes
- hotels
- sandwich shops
- takeaways
- bakeries
- delicatessens
Will have to provide accurate information on specific allergens [external link].
Businesses also need to address the issue of allergen cross contamination.
Staff must receive training about food allergens.
The Food Standards Agency provides an online course [external link].
Manufacturers and packers selling food to other businesses will have to label in accordance with EU Regulation 1169/2011.
For more information see:
- Allergy, what to consider when labelling prepacked food [pdf document].
- Further details on the other main changes to food labelling [external link]
There are also two Power Point presentations available:
- Food Information Regulations 2014 Legislation and Enforcement [power point presentation]
- Legislation and Enforcement - pdf version [pdf document]
- Food Information Regulations 2014 Guidance and Compliance [power point presentation]
- Guidance and Compliance - pdf version [pdf document]
For more information contact:
Environmental Health
Town Hall
Darlington
DL1 5QT
- Telephone: 01325 405111
- email: [email protected]