Food Information for Consumers Regulation for prepacked foods

This material is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice. We encourage you to review the EU and UK legislation and consult your legal counsel if you have questions about the laws and regulations concerning your product. This material only reflects the position at the date of writing and requirements in the EU and/or UK may change – particularly in light of the developing position with Brexit. You should refer to current UK Brexit guidance about your products (where available) to learn more about the changes that may affect you following the end of the transition period.

Introduction

I. EU Requirements:

All food items sold on Amazon websites in Europe must comply with The European Food Information for Consumers Regulation. (Refer to 1169/2011/EC “EU FIC”). This legislation sets out the mandatory labelling requirements for food.

For distance selling (e.g. selling goods online), mandatory information needs to be provided both at the point of sale (product detail page) and at point of delivery (when goods are received by the customer). With regard to the information provided at point of sale, this can be through clear images of the product itself and/or through text on the product detail page (images and product detail page information must not contradict each other).

Please see below overview of the key EU requirements for the labelling of pre-packed food.

II. UK requirements

Food products that are first made available in the UK on or before December 31, 2020 must comply with the EU FIC.

Products that are first made available in the EU or UK on or before December 31, 2020 can continue to circulate until they reach their end user and do not need to comply with the changes that take effect from January 1, 2021. You can retain evidence of when products were first made available in the UK or EU by keeping documents including contracts of sale, invoices and documents concerning the shipping of goods for distribution.

Food products that are first made available in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) after December 31, 2020 must comply with an amended version of the EU FIC as a result of the Food (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/529. Different rules apply to goods you sell in: (1) Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales); and (2) Northern Ireland.

For distance selling (e.g. selling goods online), mandatory information needs to be provided both at the point of sale (product detail page) and at point of delivery (when goods are received by the customer). With regards to the information provided at point of sale, this can be through clear images of the product itself and/or through text on the product detail page (images and product detail page information must not contradict each other).

Please see below overview of the key UK requirements for the labelling of pre-packed food.

I. EU Requirements

Scope

Food (or foodstuff) means any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans.

Examples of food include:

• Infant milk formulas and weaning foods
• Baking and cooking supplies
• Beverages (including Beers, Wines and Spirits)
• Ready-made meals
• Meal replacements
• Canned goods
• Cereals
• Condiments and spreads
• Food supplements (including ‘health’, ‘nutritional’ and ‘beauty’ supplements)
• Gift baskets & hampers
• Pasta & grains
• Snacks & desserts
• Liquids (e.g. drinkable supplements, soups etc.)

Note that there are additional requirements in relation to certain other foods, including:

• Food supplements (Directive 2002/46/EC)
• Meal replacements
• Infant formula
• Jam (Directive 2011/113/EC)
• Fish (Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013)
• Honey (Directive 2011/110/EC)
• Coffee (Directive 1999/4/EC)
• Chocolate (Directive 2000/36/EC)
• Fruit juices (Directive 2001/112/EC)
• Mineral water
• Beef & Veal (Regulation (EU) 1825/2000)
• Foods containing or produced from GMOs (Regulation (EU) 1830/2003)
• Beer, Wine & Spirits products

Pre-packed products

This guidance is applicable to pre-packed foods. Pre-packed products are foods that have been put into packaging before putting on sale and cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging. For example, frozen food, tinned fruit and cupboard staples such as cereals and biscuits.

Mandatory requirements for both website and prepacked items

Depending on the nature of the product, mandatory information needs to be provided on the product label. Please see below for more detailed information on the applicable requirements.

The following product information must be displayed on the detail pages of pre-packed products in the language applicable to the country in which the product is sold. Information must be conspicuous, legible and adhere to font size requirements.

Product type	Location of information	Mandatory	Required if applicable	Recommended to optimise customer experience
Pre-packed item	Physical label (either on the packaging or an attached label)	The legal name of Food [Refer to point 1 mentioned below] Net Quantity (weight) Durability indication ((i) the date of minimum durability ("best before"), or (ii) where the foods are highly perishable and after a short period are likely to be an immediate danger to human heal - the "use by" date Business Information - name and address of Food Business Operator in EU	Ingredients list [Refer to point 3 mentioned below] Allergen Information Country of Origin [Refer to point 4 mentioned below] labelling Alcohol % for drinks >1.2% ABV Quantitative Ingredient Declaration (QUID) Special storage conditions Instructions for use Nutrition Information [Refer to point 5 mentioned below]	Recycling Front of pack labelling (Reference Intakes/Colour coding) Consumer Careline Number Company website address Nutrition and Health claims Additional warnings – for example, in relation to the need to exercise and eat a healthy diet, packaged in certain gases, contains sweeteners, contains glycyrrhizinic acid or its ammonium salt, has a high caffeine content, has added phytosterols, the date of freezing for meat and fish, if the product is organic or produced from or contains genetically modified ingredients.
Pre-packed item	Product Detail Page	As mentioned above, however, Durability Dating and providing a lot number is not required	As mentioned above	As mentioned above

1. The legal name must include or be accompanied by information as to its physical condition. For example; powdered, refrozen, freeze-dried, quick-frozen, concentrated, smoked. It should also state if the food has been subject to physical processes such as irradiation, pasteurisation etc.
2. Exceptions to the durability indication requirement exist for the products below, where a LOT number may be included instead:
   • Fresh fruit and vegetables which have not been peeled, cut or similarly treated (except for sprouting seeds and similar products, like legume sprouts);
   • Wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wine and similar products made from fruits other than grape musts;
   • drinks containing 10% or more alcohol by volume;
   • Bakers' or pastry-cooks’ wares which are normally consumed within 24 hours of being made;
   • Vinegar;
   • Cooking salt;
   • Solid sugar;
   • Confectionery products consisting almost solely of flavoured and/or coloured sugars;
   • Chewing gums and similar chewing products
3. Exemptions may exist, for example; fresh fruit and vegetables, carbonated water, fermentation vinegars, single ingredient foods, including cheese, butter, cream, fermented milk, beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol.
4. Required for beef, fish, honey, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh, chilled and frozen poultry, sheep, pig and goat and when consumer would be misled as to the origin of the product if such labelling was not present. See the Glossary for more detail.
5. Mandatory Nutrition Labelling is exempted for products listed in Annex V of 1169/2011/EC. Products bearing nutrition and health claims in accordance with 1924/2006/EC and amendments thereof are required to provide mandatory nutrition labelling.

Allergen labelling

Ingredients identified as allergenic should be highlighted in the list of ingredients.

The below ingredients are allergens. If a food contains any of these allergens, highlight the allergen in the ingredients list by means of a distinguishing typeset (bold, separately coloured etc.):

• Cereals containing gluten, such as wheat (including spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley and oats
• Crustaceans, for example prawns, crabs, lobster, crayfish
• Eggs
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
• Milk (including lactose)
• Nuts (i.e., almonds, hazelnuts, pistachio nuts, pecan nuts, walnuts, brazil nuts and macadamia or queensland nuts)
• Celery (including celeriac)
• Mustard
• Sesame seeds
• Sulphur dioxide/sulphites, if they are more than 10 milligrams per kilogram or 10 milligrams per litre in the finished product
• Lupin, including lupin seeds and flour
• Molluscs, for example mussels, oysters, snails and squid

Claims

Claims on food products must not be false, ambiguous or misleading and should comply with the relevant requirements (Refer to detailed information below).

In general, claims for foods must not be false, ambiguous or misleading about:

• Quantity or size
• Price
• Ingredients
• Date, place and method of manufacture
• Efficiency (what you say the food can do)
• The people or organisations that endorse it

Claims stating that food or its ingredient can help treat, prevent, or cure a disease or adverse condition is prohibited. See the health claims section below for more information.

In addition, you can use only nutrition and health claims approved under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition, and health claims made on food (the ‘Regulation’) on the label and detail page.

Nutrition claims

A nutrition claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties due to the presence, absence, increased or reduced levels of energy or of a particular nutrient or other substance. Nutrition claims provide information about the nutritional composition of the food. For example: 'source of calcium', 'low fat', and 'high fibre' and 'reduced salt'.

Only nutrition claims listed in the Annex to the Regulation can be made in relation to food and only if the product meets the specific conditions of use for that claim. For example, 'low fat' can only be made on products containing no more than 3g of fat per 100g for solids.

Health claims

A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a relationship exists between a food category, a food or one of its ingredients and health. Only health claims authorised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Commission are permitted. The EU Register contains a list of specific health claims and the outcome of their assessment (whether authorised or not) as well as their conditions of use. An example of a specific health claim would be 'calcium helps maintain normal bones'. Generic and non-specific claims, such as 'good for you' or 'healthy' might be allowed if they are accompanied by a relevant specific authorised health claim listed in the EU Register, provided they meet the specific conditions of use.

Health claims cannot:

• Be false, ambiguous or misleading.
• Imply that health could be affected by not consuming the food.
• Make reference to the rate or amount of weight loss.
• Make reference to recommendations of individual doctors or health professionals.
• Encourage or condone excess consumption of a food.
• Imply that a balanced diet cannot provide the necessary nutrients.
• Induce doubt around the safety and/or nutritional adequacy of other foods.
• Refer to changes in bodily functions which could give rise to or exploit fear in the consumer.

Nutrition and health claims are only permitted if the average consumer can be expected to understand the beneficial effects as expressed in the claim. As mentioned above, if general wellbeing claims are used (such as 'superfoods', good for you), then these must be accompanied by a specific health claim, i.e., you need to explain why it is considered a 'superfood'. For example, Mackerel, as part of a healthy balanced diet, can be considered a superfood because it is a source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The claim could therefore state: 'Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function' however, should be accompanied by explaining where the Omega 3 comes from 'contains x mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid per 100 g'. To use this health claim, you also need to tell the customer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250mg EPA and DHA.

Glossary

This table explains the concepts mentioned in this guide.

Concept	Explanation
'Name' of food	Certain foods have legal names that must be used if the product meets certain standards (e.g. jam). In other instances, a customary name (e.g. Bakewell tart) can be used, provided customers generally accept the terminology. Failing this, a descriptive name (e.g. pasta in tomato sauce) must be used.
QUID	The QUID tells a consumer the percentage of particular ingredients contained in a food product. You must show a QUID if: the ingredient is in the name of the product i.e., peach yoghurt the category of ingredient is in the name of the food i.e., fish fingers a compound ingredient is used in the name of a food i.e., seafood lasagne the product is identified by a customary name with no further explanation i.e., chili con carne the ingredient is essential to characterise the food and distinguish it from other products with which it might be confused.
Business information	Name and business address of the manufacturer. If the manufacturer is based outside of the EU, then details of the company importing the food into the EU must be provided.
Durability indication	A 'best before' or 'use by' date is not required however, you must include a lot number on: Fresh fruit and vegetables which has not been peeled, cut or similarly treated (except for sprouting seeds and similar products, like legume sprouts) Wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wines, aromatised wines, and similar products made from fruit other than grapes Drinks made from fermented grapes or grape musts Drinks containing 10% or more alcohol by volume Baked or pastry goods which are normally consumed within 24 hours of being made Vinegar Cooking salt Solid sugar Confectionary made almost solely of flavoured or coloured sugars; and Chewing gums and similar chewing products
Nutrition information	Nutrition information is required for most pre-packed foods (unless exempt) and must be provided per 100g or per 100ml. For example: Typical Values: Per 100g Energy: 862kJ/206kcal Fat: 0.0g Of which Saturated: 4.2g Carbohydrates: 20.2g Of which Sugars: 1.1g Fibre: 2.6g Protein: 7.6g Salt: 0.95g
Storage statement	Storage statements are required if the durability date is listed as 'use by'.
Recycling	Clearly state if the packaging is recyclable.
Country of origin	Mandatory for some products under other EU provisions (including beef, honey, fruit, vegetables, fish, olive oil). Unprocessed meat from cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and poultry must show 'reared in' and 'slaughtered in'. Country of origin must be shown where failure to do so would be misleading e.g. 'real taste of Italy' made in Spain. Where the country of origin or the place of provenance of a food is given and where it is not the same as that of its primary ingredient, the country of origin/place of provenance of the primary ingredient must be given e.g. produced in France from Danish ham. According to EU Regulation 2011/1169, you must provide the exact country of origin for the product, which can only be one country. However, as certain products can be seasonal the origin might change, or perhaps products sourced from different places during the year. The main objective is to provide the customer with clear information on where the product has come from at the point of sale, which must not be misleading. If there are multiple countries of origin applicable to one product, it is best to keep all possible countries of origin on the product detail page. However, include a statement to explain that the origin might vary due to seasonal changes, or whatever the reason is that the origin cannot be definitive. It is important that the country of origin for a specific product is correctly labelled on the product when the product is delivered to the customer. Please be aware that Amazon’s current worldwide business policy restricts the sale of products from certain countries. More information can be found under the bullet point ‘Products from restricted countries and regions’ here.
Product claims and warnings	Where consumers should be warned of a particular risk, other than allergens (which is mandatory). For example, 'contains a source of Phenylalanine' for all products containing the sweetener Aspartame. Nutrition and health claims are subject to specific requirements (refer to section on Nutrition and health claims mentioned above).

Additional information

For more information, refer to:

• Grocery products
• Organic food, organic feed and organic pet food
• Food Supplements
• For support with completing the Flat File, see EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers

II. UK Requirements

Scope

The UK Regulations apply to all products sold in the UK, but the provisions apply differently to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales, “GB”) and Northern Ireland. You can read more about the position in Northern Ireland (“NI”) below.

Food (or foodstuff) means any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans.

Examples of food include:

• Infant milk formulas and weaning foods
• Baking and cooking supplies
• Beverages (including Beers, Wines and Spirits)
• Ready-made meals
• Meal replacements
• Canned goods
• Cereals
• Condiments and spreads
• Food supplements (including ‘health’, ‘nutritional’ and ‘beauty’ supplements)
• Gift baskets & hampers
• Pasta & grains
• Snacks & desserts
• Liquids (e.g. drinkable supplements, soups etc.)

Note that there are additional requirements in relation to certain other foods, including:

• Food supplements (Food Supplement (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended) and equivalent regulations in Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland).
• Meal replacements
• Infant formula
• Jam (Jam and Similar Products (England) Regulations 2003 and equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Fish (Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 as retained and amended by UK legislation post Brexit via the Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/739)
• Honey (Honey (England) Regulations 2015 and equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Coffee (Coffee Extracts and Chicory Extracts (England) Regulations 2001 and equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Chocolate (Cocoa and Chocolate Products (England) Regulations 2003 and equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Fruit Juices (Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (England) Regulations 2013 and equivalent regulations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Mineral Water
• Beef & Veal (Regulation (EU) 1825/2000 as retained and amended by UK legislation)
• Foods containing or produced from GMOs (Regulation (EU) 1830/2003 as retained and amended by UK legislation post Brexit via the Genetically Modified Organisms (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/90)
• Beer, wine and spirits products

Prepacked products

This guidance is applicable to prepacked foods. Prepacked products are foods that have been put into packaging before putting on sale and cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging. For example, frozen food, tinned fruit and cupboard staples such as cereals and biscuits.

Mandatory requirements for both website and prepacked items

Depending on the nature of the product, mandatory information needs to be provided on the product label. See below for more detailed information on the applicable requirements.

The following product information must be displayed on the detail pages of prepacked products in the language applicable to the country in which the product is sold. Information must be conspicuous, legible and adhere to font size requirements.

Product type	Location of information	Mandatory	Required if applicable	Recommended to optimise customer experience
Prepacked item	Physical label (either on the packaging or an attached label)	The legal name of Food [Refer to point 1 mentioned below] Net Quantity (weight) Durability indication ((i) the date of minimum durability ("best before"), or (ii) where the foods are highly perishable and after a short period are likely to be an immediate danger to human heal - the "use by" date Business Information – name and address of Food Business Operator in EU	Ingredients list [Refer to point 3 mentioned below] Allergen Information Country of Origin [Refer to point 4 mentioned below] labelling Alcohol % for drinks >1.2% ABV Quantitative Ingredient Declaration (QUID) Special storage conditions Instructions for use Nutrition Information [Refer to point 5 mentioned below]	Recycling Front of pack labelling (Reference Intakes/Colour coding) Consumer Careline Number Company website address Nutrition and Health claims Additional warnings – for example, in relation to the need to exercise and eat a healthy diet, packaged in certain gases, contains sweeteners, contains glycyrrhizinic acid or its ammonium salt, has a high caffeine content, has added phytosterols, the date of freezing for meat and fish, if the product is organic or produced from or contains genetically modified ingredients.
Prepacked item	Product Detail Page	As mentioned above, however, Durability Dating and providing a Lot number is not required	As mentioned above	As mentioned above

1. The legal name must include or be accompanied by information as to its physical condition. For example, powdered, refrozen, freeze-dried, quick-frozen, concentrated, smoked. It should also state if it has been subject to physical processes such as irradiation, pasteurisation etc.
2. Exceptions to the durability indication requirement exist for the products below, where a LOT number may be included instead:
   • Fresh fruit and vegetables which have not been peeled, cut or similarly treated (except for sprouting seeds and similar products, like legume sprouts);
   • Wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wine and similar products made from fruits other than grape musts;
   • drinks containing 10% or more alcohol by volume;
   • Bakers' or pastry-cooks’ wares which are normally consumed within 24 hours of being made;
   • Vinegar;
   • Cooking salt;
   • Solid sugar;
   • Confectionery products consisting almost solely of flavoured and/or coloured sugars;
   • Chewing gums and similar chewing products.
3. Exemptions may exist, for example, fresh fruit and vegetables, carbonated water, fermentation vinegars, single ingredient foods, including cheese, butter, cream, fermented milk, beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol.
4. Required for beef, fish, honey, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh, chilled and frozen poultry, sheep, pig and goat and when consumer would be misled as to the origin of the product if such labelling was not present. See the Glossary for more detail.
5. Mandatory Nutrition Labelling is exempted for products listed in Annex V of 1169/2011/EC (as retained and amended by UK law). Products bearing nutrition and health claims in accordance with 1924/2006/EC and amendments thereof are required to provide mandatory nutrition labelling.

Allergen labelling

The below ingredients are allergens. If a food contains any of these allergens, they have to be highlighted by means of a distinguishing typeset (for example, all in capital letters, etc.).

Please see below a list of all substances or products causing allergies or intolerances as stated in Annex II of 1169/2011/EC (as retained and amended by UK law):

• Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains and products thereof (except: wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose; wheat-based maltodextrins; glucose syrups based on barley; cereals used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohols)
• Crustaceans and products thereof
• Eggs and products thereof
• Fish and products thereof (except: fish gelatine used as carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations; fish gelatine or Isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine)
• Peanuts and products thereof
• Soybeans and products thereof (except: fully refined soybean oil and fat; natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural Dalpha tocopherol acetate and natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources; vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean sources; plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols from soybean sources)
• Milk and products thereof (including lactose / except: whey used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol; lactitol)
• Nuts, namely: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia or Queensland nuts and products thereof (except: nuts used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol)
• Celery and products thereof
• Mustard and products thereof
• Sesame seeds and products thereof
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre for total SO2 in products ready for consumption
• Lupin and products thereof
• Molluscs and products thereof

Claims

Claims on food products must not be false, ambiguous or misleading and should comply with the relevant requirements.

In general, claims for foods must not be false, ambiguous or misleading about:

• Quantity or size
• Price
• Ingredients
• Date, place and method of manufacture
• Efficiency (what you say the food can do)
• The people or organisations that endorse it

Claims stating that food or its ingredient can help treat, prevent or cure a disease or adverse condition is prohibited. See the health claims section below for more information.

In addition, only nutrition and health claims that have been approved under EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (as retained and amended by UK legislation via the Nutrition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/651) on nutrition and health claims made on food can be used on the label and detail page.

Nutrition claims

A nutrition claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties due to the presence, absence, increased or reduced levels of energy or of a particular nutrient or other substance. Nutrition claims provide information about the nutritional composition of the food. For example: 'source of calcium', 'low fat', 'high fibre' and 'reduced salt'.

Only nutrition claims listed in the Annex to the Regulation can be made in relation to food and only if the product meets the specific conditions of use for that claim. For example, 'low fat' can only be made on products containing no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g for solids.

Health claims

A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a relationship exists between a food category, a food or one of its ingredients and health. Only health claims authorised by the relevant authority as listed below are permitted:

• England: Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
• Scotland: Scottish Ministers
• Wales: Welsh Ministers
• Northern Ireland: the Department of Health

Until the end of the Brexit transition period (currently December 31, 2020) the EU Register contains a list of specific health claims and the outcome of their assessment (whether authorised or not) as well as their conditions of use.

After the end of the Brexit transition period (currently December 31, 2020) a register will be maintained by the UK authorities containing a list of specific health claims and the outcome of their assessment (whether authorised or not) as well as their conditions of use.

Health claims cannot:

• Be false, ambiguous or misleading.
• Imply that health could be affected by not consuming the food.
• Make reference to the rate or amount of weight loss.
• Make reference to recommendations of individual doctors or health professionals.
• Encourage or condone excess consumption of a food.
• Imply that a balanced diet cannot provide the necessary nutrients.
• Induce doubt around the safety and/or nutritional adequacy of other foods.
• Refer to changes in bodily functions which could give rise to or exploit fear in the consumer.

Nutrition and health claims are only permitted if the average consumer can be expected to understand the beneficial effects as expressed in the claim. As mentioned above, if general wellbeing claims are used (such as 'superfoods', good for you), then these must be accompanied by a specific health claim, which explains why it is considered a 'superfood'. For example, Mackerel, as part of a healthy balanced diet, can be considered a superfood because it is a source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The claim could therefore state: 'Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function'. This should be accompanied with the explanation for where Omega 3 comes from and that it contains x mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid per 100 g. To use this health claim, you also need to tell the customer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg EPA and DHA.

Glossary

This table explains the concepts mentioned in this guide

Concept	Explanation
Name of food	Certain foods have legal names that must be used if the product meets certain standards (e.g. jam). In other instances, a customary name (e.g. Bakewell tart) can be used, provided customers generally accept the terminology. Failing this, a descriptive name (e.g. pasta in tomato sauce) must be used.
QUID	The QUID tells a consumer the percentage of ingredients contained in a food product. You must show a QUID if: the ingredient is in the name of the product i.e. peach yoghurt the category of ingredient is in the name of the food i.e. fish fingers a compound ingredient is used in the name of a food i.e. seafood lasagne the product is identified by a customary name with no further explanation i.e. chili con carne the ingredient is essential to characterise the food and distinguish it from other products with which it might get confused with.
Business information	Name and business address of the manufacturer. If the manufacturer is based outside of the UK, then details of the company importing the food into the UK must be provided.
Durability indication	A 'best before' or 'use-by' date is not required, however, you must include a Lot number on: Fresh fruit and vegetables which have not been peeled, cut or similarly treated (except for sprouting seeds and similar products, like legume sprouts) Wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wines, aromatised wines and similar products made from fruit other than grapes Drinks made from fermented grapes or grape musts Drinks containing 10% or more alcohol by volume Baked or pastry goods which are normally consumed within 24 hours of being made Vinegar Cooking salt Solid sugar Confectionary made almost solely of flavoured or coloured sugars; and Chewing gums and similar chewing products
Nutrition information	Nutrition information is required for most prepacked foods (unless exempt) and must be provided per 100 g or per 100 mL. For example: Typical Values: Per 100 g Energy: 862 kJ/206 kcal Fat: 0.0 g Of which saturates: 4.2 g Carbohydrates: 20.2 g Of which sugars: 1.1 g Fibre: 2.6 g Protein: 7.6 g Salt: 0.95 g
Storage statement	Storage statements are required if the durability date is listed as 'use by'.
Recycling	Clearly state if the packaging is recyclable.
Country of origin	Mandatory for some products under other UK provisions (including beef, honey, fruit, vegetables, fish, olive oil) Unprocessed meat from cows, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry must show 'reared in' and 'slaughtered in'. Country of origin must be shown where failure to do so would be misleading e.g. 'real taste of Italy' made in UK Where the country of origin or the place of provenance of a food is given and where it is not the same as that of its primary ingredient, the country of origin/place of provenance of the primary ingredient must be given e.g. produced in England from Danish ham According to EU Regulation 2011/1169 (as retained and amended by UK law), you must provide the exact country of origin for the product, which can only be one country. However, as certain products can be seasonal, the origin might change, or perhaps products sourced from different places during the year. The main objective is to provide the customer with clear information on where the product has come from at the point of sale, which must not be misleading. If there are multiple countries of origin applicable to one product, it is best to keep all possible countries of origin on the product detail page. However, include a statement to explain that the origin might vary due to seasonal changes, or whatever the reason is that the origin cannot be definitive. It is important that the country of origin for that specific product is correctly labelled on the product when the product is delivered to the customer. Please be aware that Amazon’s current worldwide business policy restricts the sale of products from certain countries. More information can be found under the bullet point ‘Products from restricted countries and regions’ here.
Product claims and warnings	Where consumers should be warned of a particular risk, other than allergens (which is mandatory). For example, 'contains a source of Phenylalanine' for all products containing the sweetener Aspartame. Nutrition and health claims are subject to specific requirements. (Refer to section on Nutrition and health claims mentioned above.)

Northern Ireland

Please note that different rules will apply in Northern Ireland (NI) from January 1, 2021 as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol. In particular:

• You should ensure that products sold in NI meet EU requirements.
• You are an importer if you are established in the EU or NI and you sell products from a country outside of the EU and Northern Ireland (including from GB) into NI. Products sold in NI should be marked with details of any EU / NI based importer.
• “Qualifying Northern Ireland goods” will be able to be sold in GB with the CE mark. The UK Government is issuing guidance on how this will work.

The relevant authority for authorising health claims in Northern Ireland is the Department of Health.

BREXIT: UK Government Guidance

The UK Government has released guidance on selling products in GB and NI after Brexit. We encourage you to visit the following UK government website for guidance on changes that may affect you from January 1, 2021:

• https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/the-uk-transition

Additional information

For more information, refer to:

• Grocery products
• Organic food, organic feed and organic pet food
• Food Supplements

We encourage you to visit the Business Companion website, which contains guidance on UK product compliance rules:

• https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/food-and-drink/labelling-of-prepacked-foods-general
• https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/food-and-drink/nutrition-and-health-claims

Additional information

For more information, refer to:

• Grocery products
• Organic food, organic feed and organic pet food
• Food Supplements
• For support with completing the Flat File, see EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers.