Labeling regulations for food shops: learn more to apply them properly!

Every profession, every type of business and every country has its own set of standards and regulations that need to be respected to provide the safest possible experience for consumers. This is particularly true of food retailers who sell food products. Indeed, these products require a great deal of attention in terms of hygiene, traceability and the various information to be communicated to customers. It is therefore essential for retailers to find their way around, and to opt for simple, effective means of ensuring that their labelling is in order.

Certain regulations affect several trades. This is the case for European INCO regulations which is aimed at all food professionals selling non-pre-packaged food products: bakers, confectioners, fishmongers, industrialists, butchers, restaurateurs, and so on. In particular, it requires them to indicate the country of origin or place of provenance of meat products, as well as the notifiable allergens (NAAs) contained in their prepared products.

However, each type of business must comply with specific labeling standards imposed by its country. In France, for example, consumers are required to display the following information:

• The butcherfor its beef products, will indicate the animal's reference code, country of slaughter, country of cutting, country of birth and country of rearing.
• The bakerFor each category of bread, a sign measuring at least 15 cm x 2.5 cm will be displayed, showing the name of the bread, its weight, its price per piece, and for loaves weighing more than 200 g, the price per kg.
• The cheesemakerWe'll label our cheeses with their name, the price in kg, units or portions, the actual fat content and whether or not the milk has been heat-treated.
• The cellarmanEach product will be clearly marked with its volume, price and price per liter.

The most important thing is to find out what's going on, and to comply with the regulations that apply to you.

While it may seem obvious and important to keep abreast of the latest regulatory developments in your business, it's not so easy to free up time for this unattractive part of your business life. As we know, standards and regulations tend to evolve regularly, sometimes concerning details, other times on much more significant points.. It's hard to keep up if you don't have the right sources of information.

The Natasha Act, which came into force in the UK on October 1, 2021, is a perfect example of this. One month after its introduction, a study by the global standards organization GS1 UK revealed that 40 % of companies impacted by this law requiring allergens to be displayed on pre-packaged products, hadn't even heard of it.

To make up for this lack of information, you can create alerts on your Internet search engine using keywords related to your business. But your best allies will also be :

When we think of signage standards, we can't help but think of the medium itself. Labels, posters, notebooks... information can take many forms and be conveyed in many different ways. The most important thing is to find the most appropriate and practical tool, not only for you as retailers, who must comply with precise rules, but also for your consumers, who must have clear access to the compulsory information.

What if we told you that labels printed with Edikio Price Tag could be a solution?

Edikio Price Tag solutions have been designed and created for and with retailers, to significantly simplify and improve product labeling. In concrete terms, Edikio Price Tag offers you a package including :

• A price label creation software which features, among other things, a template library, item lists for each type of business, and over 400 images and icons for visual allergen display.
• Print cards and ribbon food contact compatible*.
• A plastic card printer ergonomic and easy to use.

And to go further, a complete range of consumables and accessories for the food industry (long cards for bakers, pick labels for meats, etc.).