Mandatory label information
Also known as: mandatory food labelling, compulsory label information, what must be on a food label
The twelve items EU law requires on every pack: name, ingredients, allergens, date, quantity, storage, business, origin and nutrition.
Mandatory label information means the twelve items every prepacked food in the European Union must carry, from a packet of pasta to a jar of honey. The list and the rules for presenting it come from Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, so they are the same in every EU country; only the language changes.
The first three answer the question what is it: the name of the food, the ingredients and the allergens. The 14 EU allergens have their own page: they are highlighted in bold or colour in the ingredients, which matters most to people with allergies.
Next come the quantity of certain ingredients (if an ingredient is in the name or the picture, its share must be given as a percentage), the net quantity and a date. There are two dates: best before for quality and use by for safety, explained on their own page.
After the date come storage conditions, the name and address of the business responsible, origin where leaving it out could mislead, instructions where they are needed, alcoholic strength for drinks above 1.2 % and the nutrition table.
There are exemptions: very small packs may leave out some items, and spirits need no ingredients list or nutrition table.
Why it matters to you: if a food from the EU lacks one of these items, that is a breach of the law, not a design choice. Start with this section when you are learning to read a label.
How it connects to Food labels & standards
Mandatory label information → kind of → 🏷️ How to read a food label
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ How to read a food label
Frequently asked questions
How many mandatory items does an EU food label have?
Twelve: name, ingredients, allergens, quantity of certain ingredients, net quantity, date, storage, responsible business, origin, instructions, alcoholic strength and nutrition.
Why does egg pasta show a percentage of egg?
If an ingredient is named in the product name or shown in the picture, EU law requires its share as a percentage.
Do UK labels have the same mandatory items?
Yes, Great Britain kept the same list in its own law, though the address of the responsible business must now be in the UK or the EU depending on where the food is sold.
Does every food have a nutrition table?
No. Spirits are exempt, as are a number of foods listed in the regulation, such as unprocessed single-ingredient products.
Is it true that small print on a pack can be any size?
No. Lower-case letters in mandatory text must be at least 1.2 mm high, or 0.9 mm on packs whose largest side is under 80 cm².
Similar
Quality marks on packs · Nutrition and additives on the label · Label words that guarantee nothing · Origin and protected names · Food laws and standards · Production method on the label
What it includes
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 9 — EUR-Lex
- Food information to consumers — legislation, European Commission