OpenLegislation

The Food Labelling Regulations 1996

S.I. 1996/1499 · Made 9 June 1996

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

FOOD

Made 9th June 1996

Laid before Parliament 10th June 1996

Coming into force 1st July 1996

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretary of State for Wales, acting jointly, in relation to England and Wales, and the Secretary of State for Scotland in relation to Scotland, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 6(4), 16(1)(e) and (f), 17(1), 26(1) and (3) and 48(1) of the Food Safety Act 1990f1 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations, after consultation in accordance with section 48(4) of the said Act with such organisations as appear to them to be representative of interests likely to be substantially affected by the Regulations:—

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1990 c. 16; “the Ministers” is defined in section 4(1) of the Act; section 6(4)(a) of the Act was amended by the Deregulation and Contracting-Out Act 1994 (c. 40) section 31 and Schedule 9, paragraph 6.

Contents

  1. Part I: PRELIMINARY
  2. 1Title and commencement
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. 3Exemptions
  5. Part II: FOOD TO BE DELIVERED AS SUCH TO THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER OR TO CATERERS
  6. Scope and general labelling requirement
  7. 4Scope of Part II
  8. 5General labelling requirement
  9. Name of the food
  10. 6Name prescribed by law
  11. 7Customary name
  12. 8Indication of true nature of food
  13. 9Form of name
  14. 10Trade marks, brand names and fancy names
  15. 11Indication of physical condition or treatment
  16. List of ingredients
  17. 12Heading of list of ingredients
  18. 13Order of list of ingredients
  19. 14Names of ingredients
  20. 15Compound ingredients
  21. 16Added water
  22. 17Ingredients which need not be named
  23. 18Foods which need not bear a list of ingredients
  24. Ingredients given special emphasis
  25. 19Indication of minimum or maximum percentage of ingredients
  26. Appropriate durability indication
  27. 20Form of indication of minimum durability
  28. 21Form of indication of “use by” date
  29. 22Foods which need not bear an appropriate durability indication
  30. Omission of certain particulars
  31. 23Food which is not prepacked and similar food, and fancy confectionery products
  32. 24Indication of additives
  33. 25Indication of irradiated ingredients
  34. 26Small packages and certain indelibly marked bottles
  35. 27Certain food sold at catering establishments
  36. 28Seasonal selection packs
  37. Additional labelling requirements for certain categories of food
  38. 29Food sold from vending machines
  39. 30Prepacked alcoholic drinks other than Community controlled wine
  40. 31Raw milk
  41. 32Products consisting of skimmed milk together with non-milk fat
  42. 33Foods packaged in certain gases
  43. 34Foods containing sweeteners, added sugar and sweeteners, aspartame or polyols
  44. Manner of marking or labelling
  45. 35General requirement
  46. 36Food to which regulation 23 or 27 applies
  47. 37Milk
  48. 38Intelligibility
  49. 39Field of vision
  50. Part III: CLAIMS, NUTRITION LABELLING AND MISLEADING DESCRIPTIONS
  51. 40Claims
  52. 41Supplementary provisions relating to claims
  53. 42Misleading descriptions
  54. 43The word “wine”
  55. Part IV: OFFENCES AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
  56. 44Offences and penalties
  57. 45Enforcement
  58. 46Defence in case of alteration of appropriate durability indication
  59. 47Defence in relation to exports
  60. 48Application of various sections of the Food Safety Act 1990
  61. Part V: REVOCATIONS, AMENDMENTS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISION
  62. 49Revocations and amendments
  63. 50Transitional provision
  64. Signature
  65. Schedule 1: NAMES PRESCRIBED BY LAW
  66. 1Fish
  67. 2Melons
  68. 3Potatoes
  69. 4Vitamins
  70. Schedule 2: INDICATIONS OF TREATMENT
  71. 1Tenderised meat
  72. 2Irradiated food
  73. Schedule 3GENERIC NAMES IN LIST OF INGREDIENTS
  74. Schedule 4CATEGORIES OF ADDITIVES WHICH MUST BE IDENTIFIED IN A LIST OF INGREDIENTS BY THEIR CATEGORY NAME
  75. 1Notes
  76. 2Notes
  77. Schedule 5POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TOLERANCES PERMITTED IN THE INDICATION OF THE ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH BY VOLUME OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS OTHER THAN COMMUNITY CONTROLLED WINE
  78. Schedule 6: CLAIMS
  79. IPROHIBITED CLAIMS
  80. 1Paragraph 1
  81. 2Note
  82. IIRESTRICTED CLAIMS
  83. Schedule 7: NUTRITION LABELLING
  84. Part I: PRESENTATION OF PRESCRIBED NUTRITION LABELLING
  85. 1Paragraph 1
  86. 2Paragraph 2
  87. 3Paragraph 3
  88. 4Paragraph 4
  89. 5Paragraph 5
  90. 6Paragraph 6
  91. Part II: CONTENTS OF PRESCRIBED NUTRITION LABELLING
  92. 1Paragraph 1
  93. 2Paragraph 2
  94. Schedule 8: MISLEADING DESCRIPTIONS
  95. IGENERAL
  96. IICHEESE
  97. IIICREAM
  98. Schedule 9REVOCATIONS
  99. Explanatory note