UK nutrition labelling rules (GB and Northern Ireland)
Short answer: UK nutrition labels follow the assimilated version of Regulation 1169/2011, so the seven mandatory nutrients, per 100 g format, reference intakes and rounding are the same as in the EU. Northern Ireland follows EU rules. The traffic-light front-of-pack label is voluntary, and prepacked food sold in Great Britain needs a UK business address.
By the Free Nutrition Label team · Last reviewed: · Not legal advice.
Since 2021, Great Britain has applied a retained ("assimilated") version of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. For a nutrition declaration that means the same seven mandatory nutrients, per 100 g/ml, the same reference intakes and the same rounding guidance (published by the FSA in its technical guidance on nutrition labelling).
What is different
- The food business operator's address on pre-packed food sold in GB must be a UK address (EU address for NI).
- Front-of-pack labelling uses the voluntary traffic-light scheme; see our front-of-pack guide.
- UK composition data is available in the McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), published under the Open Government Licence.
Using this generator for the UK
Use the EU/UK table format with English labels. Per 100 g and %RI columns follow the retained rules.
Sources
- GOV.UK – Food labelling: giving food information to consumers
- FSA – Nutrition labelling technical guidance (PDF)
- UK DHSC – Front of pack nutrition labelling guidance
FAQ
Are UK nutrition label rules different from the EU?
In Great Britain the retained Regulation 1169/2011 applies, so the content, order, reference intakes and rounding are the same as in the EU. Northern Ireland continues to apply EU rules under the Windsor Framework.
Is the traffic-light label mandatory in the UK?
No. The front-of-pack colour-coded scheme from the Department of Health and Social Care's 2016 guidance is voluntary, but widely used by retailers.