EU food label requirements for imported food

Last updated: 17 October 2026. Some rules differ by Member State. Confirm each point with the authority of the country where the food is sold.

Prepacked food sold in the EU must carry the mandatory particulars set by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, in a language that consumers in the Member State of sale easily understand. The food business operator responsible for the information must make sure it is present and accurate.

Mandatory particulars.

Article 9(1) lists these particulars for prepacked food:

1. The name of the food.
2. The list of ingredients.
3. Any Annex II allergen or derivative, even if altered and still present in the finished food.
4. The quantity of certain ingredients or ingredient categories.
5. The net quantity.
6. The date of minimum durability ("best before") or the "use by" date.
7. Storage conditions and conditions of use.
8. The name or business name and address of the food business operator.
9. The country of origin or place of provenance, where Article 26 requires it.
10. Instructions for use, where the food would be hard to use without them.
11. The actual alcoholic strength by volume, for beverages above 1.2 percent alcohol.
12. A nutrition declaration.

Annex III adds particulars for specific types of food. For food that is not prepacked, allergen information is mandatory, and Member States may set national rules for the rest.

Allergens.

Annex II names 14 groups: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs, together with products made from them. In the ingredient list, each allergen must be named as Annex II names it and emphasised with a typeset that clearly distinguishes it from the rest of the list, for example a different font, style or background colour (Article 21). If there is no ingredient list, a "Contains" statement followed by the Annex II name is used. Some details, such as which cereals and nuts count, sit in Annex II itself, so read it for your recipe.

Language and presentation.

• Language. Mandatory information must be in a language consumers in the Member State of sale easily understand. A Member State may require one or more of the official EU languages in its territory, and several languages may appear together (Article 15).
• Text size. Characters must have an x-height of at least 1.2 mm. For packaging whose largest surface is under 80 cm², the minimum is 0.9 mm (Article 13).
• Same field of vision. The name of the food, the net quantity and, for beverages above 1.2 percent alcohol, the actual alcoholic strength must appear in the same field of vision (Article 13).

Who is responsible.

Article 8 makes the food business operator under whose name the food is marketed responsible for the information. For food from outside the EU, this is generally understood to be the importer when the named operator is not established in the Union. Read Article 8 to confirm who carries the responsibility for your product.

Checks to run before you print.

1. Check that the name of the food is present, and that it sits in the same field of vision as the net quantity.
2. Reconcile the ingredient list with the current supplier specification, including additives and processing aids, and check the order.
3. Check every recipe ingredient and derivative against the 14 Annex II groups, and check that each is named and emphasised in the ingredient list.
4. Check the net quantity, the best before or use by date, and the storage conditions.
5. Check the name and address of the responsible operator, which for imported food is generally the importer in the EU.
6. Check whether country of origin or place of provenance is required for the product under Article 26, and that it matches the invoice and certificates.
7. Check that a nutrition declaration is present and its values match the recipe or laboratory data.
8. For beverages above 1.2 percent alcohol, check the actual alcoholic strength.
9. Check each language panel for the Member States of sale against the master, and check the minimum text size on the smallest pack.
10. Repeat the checks whenever the recipe, supplier, packaging or Member State of sale changes. Keep a dated record of each check.

Common questions.

Which allergens must be declared on EU food labels?

Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists 14 groups: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin and molluscs, with products made from them. In the ingredient list each must be emphasised with a distinct typeset.

What is the minimum text size on an EU food label?

Characters must have an x-height of at least 1.2 mm. For packaging whose largest surface is under 80 cm², the minimum is 0.9 mm.

Which language must an EU food label use?

A language consumers in the Member State of sale easily understand. A Member State may require one or more official EU languages for its territory, and several languages may be used together.

Sources.

• European Commission, Mandatory food information
• European Commission, Language and presentation of food information
• EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers
• EUR-Lex, Consolidated text of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011

This guide is information, not legal advice. Read Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 and your Member State's rules before you print.