subject: Making sure your product's labels comply with UK law [print this page] Making sure your product's labels comply with UK law
Whether you're a manufacturer or a retailer, if you operate within the UK then it is important you pay close attention to what information you put on your product's labels and packaging. If you don't you run the risk of breaching industry regulations and consumer protection laws that won't just damage your reputation - they could easily lead to both legal action and even prosecution. In the UK, failure to comply with product labeling and packaging law can amount to a criminal offence.
For all businesses in the UK, packaging and labeling falls under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. At the heart of these measures is the insistence that any information that you put on a product must be accurate - it is a criminal offence to mislead consumers through either text or illustrations on product labels and packaging.
Among other things, this means that you must be accurate about:
The quantity and size of your product
The composition of your product (what is it made from)
How it was manufactured
The place and date of manufacture
Its fitness for the stated purpose
Any endorsements by people or organization
It's worth noting that many of these pieces of information may not actually be required for your product labels - but if you do have them there, they must be accurate. Similarly it is an offence to give consumers a misleading price indication about goods and services; so if your product labels have a price printed directly on them, retailers will be unable to sell them for more than that price without damaging the labels. It is less of an issue if they sell items below the advertised cost, as this is of benefit to the consumer.
Depending on the product, different pieces of information are required by law. For example all tobacco products must contain health warnings on their labeling, though this is not the only type of product that needs specific information under law. To see a full list, it's advisable to visit the Trading Standards website and check whether or not your product comes into industry rules.
