Pre-packed foods labelling advice

Weight

The net weight of the product requires to be displayed. This must in metric form - such as g, kg, ml or litre, though imperial (for instance oz or lb) can also be displayed secondary to this. The “e” mark noted on packing is from the Weights and Measures legislation and indicates the minimum weight that the product will be (contents plus packaging).

Durability indication

Most foods require to have an appropriate date mark applied. These are:

Use by

This should be used for perishable foods that would be unsafe to eat past a certain point; and

It should be displayed as a “Use By” date and be in the format dd/mm/yy.

Best Before

This is for all other foods (unless exempt).

For a product with a shelf-life of:

• less than 3 months, the date must be indicated as a “Best Before” date and should be displayed in the format “dd/mm/yy”
• 3 and 18 months, this can be displayed as the previous point or may displayed as a “Best Before End” date, in which it must be displayed in the format “mm/yy”
• over 18 months, this can be displayed as a “Best Before End” date and can be displayed either in the format “mm/yy” or just “yyyy”

Exemptions

Exemptions to durability marking can include:

• alcoholic drinks that are above 10% abv
• cooking salt
• vinegar
• bakery goods
• wine