{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/food-safety-act-1990/section-34",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/food-safety-act-1990/section-34.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1990/16",
  "legislation_title": "Food Safety Act 1990",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/food-safety-act-1990",
  "path": "section/34",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "34",
  "heading": "Time limit for prosecutions.",
  "text": "No prosecution for an offence under this Act which is punishable under section 35(2) section 35(A1), (A2) or (2) below shall be begun after the expiry of—\n(a) three years from the commission of the offence; or\n(b) one year from its discovery by the prosecutor,\nwhichever is the earlier.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 34 substituted (S.) (1.4.2015) by Food (Scotland) Act 2015 (asp 1), s. 63(2), sch. para. 3(5) (with s. 62); S.S.I. 2015/99, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.1.1993 for certain purposes and 15.1.1993 otherwise) by S.I. 1992/3163, regs. 1, 18(1) (which S.I. was revoked (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 59(1), Sch. 5)S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.1.1993 for certain purposes and 15.1.1993 otherwise) by S.I. 1992/3164, regs. 1, 19(1) (which S.I. was revoked (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 59(1), Sch. 5)S. 34 applied (14.7.1993) by S.I. 1993/1520, reg. 2(5)S. 34 applied (with modifications) (15.9.1995) by S.I. 1995/1763, reg. 7(g)S. 34 applied (with modifications) (15.9.1995) by S.I. 1995/2200, reg. 18S. 34 applied (with modifications) (17.11.1997) by S.I. 1997/2537, reg. 9S. 34 applied (with modifications) (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 55(1)(f)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (E.) (4.10.2004) by Genetically Modified Food (England) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2335), regs. 1(b), 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (15.11.2004) by Genetically Modified Food (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (S.S.I. 2004/432), regs. 1(1), 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (17.12.2004) by Genetically Modified Food (Wales) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3220), regs. 1(b), 6(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.1.2005) by General Food Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3279), regs. 1, 7(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 34 extended (29.4.2005) by Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/898), regs. 1, 14(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (24.6.2005) by The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Wales) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/1647), regs. 1, 14(4) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (20.5.2006) by Ceramic Articles In Contact With Food (England) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1179), regs. 1(1), 7(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (20.5.2006) by Ceramic Articles in Contact with Food (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (S.S.I. 2006/230), regs. 1(2), 7"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (30.6.2006) by Ceramic Articles in Contact with Food (Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1704), regs. 1(1), 7(1)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C11",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (7.8.2007) by Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1631), regs. 1, 5(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C12",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (7.8.2007) by Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1984), regs. 1, 5(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C13",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (7.8.2007) by Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (S.S.I. 2007/325), regs. 1(1), 5(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C14",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2007) by Nutrition and Health Claims (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (S.S.I. 2007/383), regs. 1(1), 6(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C15",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2007) by Nutrition and Health Claims (Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2611), regs. 1, 6(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C16",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2007) by Nutrition and Health Claims (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2080), regs. 1, 6(g)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C17",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (31.7.2009) by The Food Irradiation (Wales) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1795), regs. 1(1), 11(3) (with reg. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C18",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (31.7.2009) by The Food Irradiation (England) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/1584), regs. 1, 11(3) (with reg. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C19",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (20.1.2010) by Food Additives (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (S.S.I. 2009/436), regs. 1(1), 16(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C20",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (20.1.2010) by Food Additives (England) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3238), regs. 1, 16(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C21",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (20.1.2010) by Food Enzymes (Scotland) Regulations 2009 (S.S.I. 2009/435), regs. 1, 5(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C22",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (20.1.2010) by Food Enzymes Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3235), regs. 1(1), 5(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C23",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (20.1.2011) by The Flavourings in Food (Wales) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2922), regs. 1, 5(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C24",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (20.1.2011) by The Flavourings in Food (England) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2817), regs. 1(c), 5(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C25",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (S.) (20.1.2011) by The Flavourings in Food (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (S.S.I. 2010/439), regs. 1, 5(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C26",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (W.) (1.7.2011) by The Plastic Kitchenware (Conditions on Imports from China) (Wales) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1605), regs. 1(2), 11(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C27",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (E.) (1.7.2011) by The Plastic Kitchenware (Conditions on Imports from China) (England) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/1517), regs. 1, 11(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C28",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (S.) (1.7.2011) by The Plastic Kitchenware (Conditions on Imports from China) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (S.S.I. 2011/282), regs. 1, 11(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C29",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (5.10.2013) by The Fish Labelling (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/256), regs. 1, 7(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C30",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (31.10.2013) by The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (England) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2210), regs. 1, 19(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C31",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (31.10.2013) by The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (Wales) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2591), regs. 1, 19(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C32",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (31.10.2013) by The Food Additives, Flavourings, Enzymes and Extraction Solvents (Scotland) Regulations 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/266), regs. 1, 17(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C33",
      "text": "S. 34 power to apply in part for certain purposes conferred (1.4.2015) by Food (Scotland) Act 2015 (asp 1), ss. 49(2)(c)(vi), 63(2) (with s. 62); S.S.I. 2015/99, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C34",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (E.) (1.10.2022) by The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1368), regs. 1(1), 16(1)(2)(h)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C35",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (S.) (30.6.2023) by The Food (Scotland) Act 2015 (Compliance Notices) Regulations 2023 (S.S.I. 2023/161), regs. 1(2), 3(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C36",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (26.3.2026) by The Food (Promotion and Presentation) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/395), regs. 1(3), 16(1)(g), Sch. 3 Pt. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C37",
      "text": "S. 34 applied (with modifications) (1.10.2026) by The Food (Promotion and Placement) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/303), regs. 1, 11(1)(2)(h)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "applied",
      "affecting": "wsi/2009/3378",
      "affecting_title": "The Food Additives (Wales) Regulations 2009 (revoked)"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/16/section/34",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:43:14.422556+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}