Name of the food
The legal or customary name that clearly identifies what the product is.
BEFORE YOUR DESIGN GOES TO PRINT
Preparing a product label
for the EU market.
This practical starting point helps small businesses collect the information a professional designer will need. Requirements can vary by product, claims, and sales channel—confirm your specific obligations with your national food authority.
GENERAL LABEL CHECKLIST
Information to gather
Ingredients
A complete list of every ingredient in descending order by weight.
Allergens
Any of the 14 major allergens present must be visually emphasised — bold, capitals, or a contrasting style — within the ingredient list itself.
Net quantity
State the net amount of food in metric units only (g, kg, mL, L).
Durability date
A "best before" (minimum durability) date, or a "use by" date for highly perishable products.
Storage and use
Any special storage conditions or instructions for use where needed to make appropriate use of the product.
Responsible business
The name and address of the food business operator — the party responsible for the information on the label.
Country of origin
Required for certain products and whenever its omission could mislead the consumer.
Nutrition declaration
Standardised per-100g/100mL nutrition values — exact figures can only be confirmed once a real recipe and lab or database analysis exist, not from a concept image.
Food and beverage products
All mandatory information must be legible, with a minimum font size of 1.2mm (x-height) on the label. Alcoholic beverages over 1.2% ABV must also state the actual alcoholic strength by volume. Individual EU member states can add their own national labelling rules on top of these EU-wide requirements, so also check the specific country you're selling into.
AUTHORITATIVE NEXT STEPS
European Commission — Mandatory Food InformationOfficial overview of the FIC requirementsRegulation (EU) No 1169/2011The regulation itself, via EUR-LexReviewed against official EU sources on 20 August 2026. Regulations and standards can change; verify again before production.