Label facts

Fast facts

Food labels contain important information to help consumers manage nutrition, allergies and food safety
Reading the label tells you a lot about each product
If food is unpackaged, the retailer must still be able to tell you about the presence of any allergens and storage or cooling directions required to keep the food safe.

Food labels provide information to help us make healthier and safer food choices. They …

tell us which nutrients, in what amounts, are in a product;
warn us if a food contains food allergens;
inform us if the food is fresh or out of date; or explain how to store, prepare or cook the food we buy;
list product ingredients; and
give us information on where the food was produced and by which company.

Essentially, food labels are there to provide us with basic information about what is in the food we eat and how best to handle it.

Even where the food is fresh or not in a packet, the retailer must be able to provide to you on request any information about:

the presence of any ingredients which are allergens;
the directions for storing and/or preparing the food if these are required to ensure its safe use;
the country of origin of the food;
if a nutrition claim is made about a food: its nutrient content as required on packaged food;
the % fat if a claim about fat is made; and
the proportion of the characterising ingredient of a mixed food;
whether the food contains a genetically modified ingredient or is irradiated;
the proportion of offal in a meat mix;
the fact that a meat product is fermented; e.g salami.