EU Food Label Regulations

Current as of 2026

Key requirements for prepacked food imported and sold in the EU — applicable to BizSnacks product range.

Core Regulation — EU 1169/2011 (FIC) — 9 Mandatory Particulars
RequirementRuleStatus
Product name Legal/customary name or descriptive name Tracked
Ingredients list Descending weight order, Article 18 Tracked
Allergens Emphasised in ingredient list, Annex II Tracked
Net quantity g/ml/l; mandatory on principal field Manual
Best before / Use by DD/MM/YYYY format required Manual
Storage conditions If needed to maintain product Manual
EU operator name+address EU food business operator, Art. 9(1)(h) Tracked
Country of origin Mandatory for meat, fish, honey, olive oil; best practice for all Tracked
Nutrition declaration Tabular format, per 100g, Annex XV Tracked
Annex II — 14 Major Allergens (Must be emphasised in ingredient list)
Cereals containing gluten Crustaceans Eggs Fish Peanuts Soybeans Milk Nuts (tree nuts) Celery Mustard Sesame seeds Sulphur dioxide/Sulphites Lupin Molluscs

Must be clearly distinguished — bold, underline, or contrasting colour. This applies to ingredients and any carry-over allergens from processing aids.

Southampton Six — Mandatory Child Warning Reg. 1333/2008 Art. 24

If any of these colours are present, the label must include:

"May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
E102 Tartrazine E104 Quinoline Yellow E110 Sunset Yellow FCF E122 Azorubine E124 Ponceau 4R E129 Allura Red AC

Get Labels detects these automatically and flags as HIGH severity.

Annex XV — Nutrition Declaration (Mandatory since Dec 2016)
#NutrientReference IntakeNotes
1 Energy 8400 kJ / 2000 kcal Both kJ and kcal required
2 Fat 70 g
3 of which saturates 20 g
4 Carbohydrate 260 g
5 of which sugars 90 g
6 Protein 50 g
7 Salt 6 g Not sodium — must convert: salt = sodium × 2.5
Minimum Font Size — Article 13
Standard pack (≥ 80 cm²)x-height ≥ 1.2 mm
Small pack (< 80 cm²)x-height ≥ 0.9 mm
Very small pack (< 10 cm²)Exempt from nutrition table

Get Labels uses 7pt Helvetica — x-height ~3.1mm, well above minimum.

Recent & Upcoming Changes Watch
E171 Titanium Dioxide Ban In force
Aug 2022 — Reg. 2022/63 — banned in all food. Common in Asian confectionery coatings.
Nutri-Score (voluntary) Voluntary
2020–present — Front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme. Not mandatory but increasingly expected in NL/FR/DE/BE.
Origin labelling extension Pending
2026 review — European Commission reviewing mandatory origin labelling extension to all primary ingredients.
TBHQ (E319) ban In force
2020 — Not authorised in EU. Common antioxidant in Asian snack products (chips, crackers).
Aspartame (E951) re-evaluation In force
2023 — EFSA reconfirmed safety at current ADI. PKU warning (contains phenylalanine source) still mandatory.
Packaging sustainability (PPWR) Upcoming
2026–2030 — Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — recyclability requirements, reuse targets.
Novel Foods — Reg. 2015/2283

Foods not significantly consumed in the EU before May 1997. Require pre-market authorisation.

Examples relevant to Asian food imports:

  • Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) — authorised with conditions
  • Baobab fruit — authorised
  • Noni juice — authorised with conditions
  • Moringa leaves (some uses) — check specific application
  • Certain insect-derived ingredients — under assessment
Key Reference Links
EU Food Additives Database
food.ec.europa.eu — search authorised additives by E-number
RASFF Portal
webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window — rapid alert notifications for food safety
Novel Food Catalogue
ec.europa.eu/food/novel-food/catalogue — check novel food status
Reg. 1169/2011 Full Text
eur-lex.europa.eu — the FIC regulation
Packaging Symbols
♦ Food-contact safe (glass + fork)
Indicates packaging is safe for food contact. Required under Reg. (EC) No 1935/2004.
♦ Tidyman (do not litter)
Strong EU convention. Not legally mandated but expected. Person throwing rubbish into a bin.
♦ Möbius loop / Green Dot
Recyclability indicator. The Green Dot (two arrows) means a contribution has been made to an EU packaging recovery scheme (required in some EU markets).
♦ Triman + Citeo (France — mandatory)
French law (Décret 2012-1456, updated 2021). The Triman figure + sorting instructions (which bin) must appear on all packaging sold in France. Icon varies by material: glass jar, plastic pouch, cardboard, etc. Citeo manages the French packaging recovery scheme.
Disclaimer: This is a compliance guidance tool, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified EU food law specialist before placing products on the market.