## [EU Food Labeling Requirements for Prepacked Foods – A Compliance Guide](/blog/eu-food-labeling-requirements-for-prepacked-foods-a-compliance-guide) November 11, 2026 ![EU Food Labeling Requirements for Prepacked Foods – A Compliance Guide]() 4 min read - [Food Supplements](/blog-main-categories/food-supplements) Food labels play an important role in helping consumers understand what they are buying. For food companies selling products in the European Union, complying with **EU food labeling requirements** is essential to ensure that product information is clear, accurate, and aligned with regulatory standards. Under **Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011**, also known as the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulation, food businesses must ensure that mandatory information on the labels is accurate, easy to understand, clearly visible, indelible, and not misleading. From ingredient declarations and allergen information to nutrition declaration and font size, here are the key **EU food labeling requirements** that manufacturers and food business operators should consider: ### Mandatory Information on Prepacked Food Labels Most prepacked food products sold in the EU must carry specific information on the labels to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. This includes: - **Name of the food** - **List of ingredients** in descending order of weight, including additives and allergens - **Allergen information**: any of the 14 main allergens must be highlighted using a distinct font, style, or background - **Quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients** - **Net quantity of the food** - **Date of minimum durability** ('best before' date) or the 'use by' date - Any special **storage conditions** and/or **instructions for use** - **Name or** **business name** and **address** of the food business operator - **Date marking** either “best before” (for quality) or “use by” (for safety) - **Country of origin** required for certain foods such as fresh meat (pigs, sheep, goats, poultry), fish, and specific fruits and vegetables - **Alcohol content**: Actual alcoholic strength for beverages containing more than 1,2% alcohol by volume - **Nutrition declaration** including energy value (kJ/kcal), salt, fats, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars, and protein Certain food categories may also require additional warnings or statements depending on their ingredients and characteristics. - For **non-prepacked foods** (foods which are offered for sale to the final consumer or to mass caterers without prepackaging, or foods which are packed on the sales premises at the consumer's request or prepacked for direct sale), it is mandatory to provide information about the substances and products causing allergies or intolerances present in the product. ### Allergen Labeling Requirements Allergen declarations are among the most important elements under the EU allergen labeling requirements. The EU identifies 14 categories of substances or products that cause allergies or intolerances, including cereals containing gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, fish, and certain nuts. For prepacked food, where applicable, allergens must be emphasized within the ingredients list using a distinct typeface, style, or background color so consumers can easily identify them. For products that do not require an ingredients list, allergen information must generally be presented using the word **“contains”**, followed by the relevant allergen. ### Nutrition Declaration Requirements Under the EU food labeling regulation, prepacked foods must include a nutrition declaration providing information about: - energy value - amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and salt The following nutrients can be indicated voluntarily in the nutrition declaration: - mono-unsaturates - polyunsaturates - polyols - starch - fibre - any of the vitamins or minerals For vitamins and minerals to be voluntarily included in the nutrition declaration, they must meet the following minimum levels: - Solid foods: At least 15% of the NRV per 100 g/100 ml - Beverages: At least 7.5% of the NRV per 100 ml Nutrient amounts must be indicated per 100 g or per 100 ml, allowing consumers to compare products more easily. ### Special Labeling Requirements Additional labeling requirements may apply to particular products, including: - **Frozen meat and frozen fishery products:** Date of freezing, where required. - **Defrosted products:** Foods that were previously frozen and then thawed before sale must be clearly labeled as **"defrosted"** - **Vegetable oils:** The specific type and origin must be indicated (e.g. sunflower oil, palm oil) - **Engineered nanomaterials:**  labelled with “nano” in brackets after the ingredient name - **Substitute ingredients:** declared near the product name if an expected ingredient has been replaced - **Added water**: For meat products and meat preparations resembling a cut, joint, slice, portion or carcase of meat, and fishery products resembling a cut, joint, slice, portion, fillet or whole fishery product, added water must be indicated in the name of the food when it exceeds 5% of the finished product's weight. - **Added proteins**: must be declared when different from the product’s animal origin ### Minimum Font Size and Label Size Under EU food labeling font size requirements, mandatory information must be printed using a font with a minimum x-height of 1.2 millimetres. If the largest surface area of packaging is less than 80 cm², a minimum x-height of 0.9 mm is permitted. For very small packages with a largest surface area below 10 cm², only certain mandatory particulars must appear directly on the package or label, including the food name, allergen information, net quantity and applicable date marking. These specifications are particularly important when adapting artwork to different packaging formats. ### Final Thoughts  Meeting **EU food labeling requirements** involves more than preparing an ingredients list. Food businesses must consider allergen declarations, nutritional information, ingredient percentages, product-specific warnings, and packaging legibility. Reviewing these requirements early in product development, before artwork finalization, helps businesses identify compliance gaps, minimize label revisions, and avoid market-entry delays. Freyr supports food and beverage companies in navigating evolving regulatory requirements through [food labeling and claims review](https://www.freyrsolutions.com/food-supplements/food-labeling-requirements-and-claims-review) services, helping businesses assess label information and claims across global markets. Consult Freyr for Expert Regulatory Guidance on EU Food Label Compliance!