Important food labelling changes from 1 October 2021
Changes to food labelling which may affect your business
New legislation, which will require food businesses in Scotland to include the product name and full ingredients list, on food sold prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), comes into force on 1 October 2021, in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Businesses must include the name of the food and the ingredients list with any of the 14 allergens required to be declared by law emphasised within it, if they are ingredients of the food.
Examples of PPDS foods include sandwiches placed into packaging by the food business and sold from the same premises, wrapped deli counter goods such as cheese and meats, and boxed salads placed on a refrigerated shelf prior to sale.
Required information
You must include the name of the food and the ingredients list with any of the 14 allergens required to be declared by law emphasised within it, if they are ingredients of the food. Allergens could be emphasised by:
- using a different text colour
- writing the allergens in bold or underlining
Find out how your business is affected
To find out how your business is affected visit the Food Standards Scotland website and answer a few questions to find out how you are affected by these changes.
Support and guidance
You can also find all the support and guidance you will need on the Food Standards Scotland website, along with a short video to help explain the legislation change. To make sure you are ready for this change visit: https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/business-and-industry/safety-and-regulation/food-allergies-2/prepacked-for-direct-sale
If you require further information please contact us by email: ehts@eastlothian.gov.uk or call: 01620 827365.
If you are no longer operating your food business please advise accordingly.