Selling homemade food products online -- label information

[lucreziavannecker]

Hi,

I'm planning to sell homemade food products (jams, chocolates, etc) online. I'm really in doubt as to whether I am legally obliged to include the list of ingredients, quantity, and such info on both the label and the website? Take, for example, a handmade chocolate bar. I package it and stick a label on the package, then list it on the website. Would I need to put the information on both the label and the product page? I would prefer not to have to list everything on the labels as well.

FIY, I will be selling online only.

I'd really appreciate some insight, either from someone who has done this before or somebody working in the legal field.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Mr D]

You could ask the family of the girl who died after eating a sandwich from Pret. It helped kill her.
Allergy information or ingredients would have made the difference.

You have searched out and read the label requirement the uk government has?

https://www.gov.uk/food-labelling-and-packaging

 

[lucreziavannecker]

@Mr D As much as I appreciate your comment, it doesn't exactly answer my question.

I am perfectly aware of the legislation, but I don't see anything wrong with asking, just to make double sure. I've seen products without this info, especially 'luxury gifts' (you know, the kind with a minimal but impactful design, with nothing more than a logo and perhaps a headline on the front, which is kind of what I'm looking for myself).

As I will be providing all of the legally required information on the website very clearly and above the fold, I thought it might be possible not to have this same information on the label as well.

Does anyone know if the law is different in case of food gifts?

Thank you!

 

[KAC]

I'm with @Mr D on this. Someone buys the product from you and leaves it lying around in their house. Someone having a taste is unlikely to look on your website first. Personally, irrespective of the law, I would prefer allergy advice on both.

I am, of course, biased as my grandson has a nut allergy and whenever we take him out, the Epipen comes with us as well.

 

[Mr D]

If you are perfectly aware of the legislation then what is the point in asking?

What other people do or don't do right doesn't make a difference in what you are required to do.


You will of course be aware of:

Penalties and enforcement
8.—(1) If any person contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of regulation 5 or 6 he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(2) Each food authority shall enforce and execute these Regulations in its area.


http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1659/contents/made

Please, do not risk your customers.

 

[thetiger2015]

Yes, you must include the ingredients on the packaging:

https://www.gov.uk/food-labelling-and-packaging

To sell food and drink products, the label must be:

• clear and easy to read
• permanent
• easy to understand
• easily visible
• not misleading

You must show certain basic information and list the ingredients. You might also have to show certain warnings.

In mind of what others have said, I would be inclined to go over board and really make the ingredients/allergy information obvious.

It shouldn't have any effect on your branding, as that will be the front/top of the product. On the back though, go all out to make it crystal clear to consumers. If you look at most chocolate bars, they have things like 'May Contain Nuts' or 'Made in a factory that manufactures nut based products' written in bold. There may be other ingredients that you need to highlight for individual products.

Include the same detail on your product pages. You don't want people to buy the product, then find they're allergic to something. That's a PR disaster. You want it clear and highlighted all the way through.