5 Common Labelling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Introduction

Food labelling regulations in the UK are comprehensive—and for good reason. They protect consumers with allergies, help people make informed dietary choices, and ensure fair competition between businesses.

But for small food producers, navigating these regulations can be challenging. Here are the five most common mistakes we see, and how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Missing or Incorrect Allergen Emphasis

The problem: Allergens must be emphasised (typically in bold) within your ingredients list. Simply listing them isn't enough—they need to stand out.

How to avoid it: Always bold the 14 major allergens wherever they appear. Remember that allergens can be hidden in compound ingredients too. "Soy sauce" contains wheat and soy, for example.

Mistake 2: Ingredients in the Wrong Order

The problem: Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight at the time they were used in the recipe. Many producers list them in the order they were added, or alphabetically.

How to avoid it: Weigh all your ingredients and list them from highest to lowest weight. For recipes with similar quantities of multiple ingredients, be precise—trading standards can and do check.

Mistake 3: Font Size Too Small

The problem: There are minimum font size requirements for mandatory information. The x-height (the height of a lowercase 'x') must be at least 1.2mm for most packages, or 0.9mm for packages where the largest surface area is less than 80cm².

How to avoid it: Check your label dimensions and ensure your font meets the minimum requirements. When in doubt, go larger—readability helps your customers too.

Mistake 4: Missing Mandatory Information

The problem: Food labels require specific information including the food name, ingredients list, allergens, net quantity, best before/use by date, storage conditions, business name and address, and country of origin (for certain foods).

How to avoid it: Use a checklist before printing any labels. Better yet, use software like Crumpet that ensures all mandatory fields are included.

Mistake 5: Incorrect Net Quantity Declaration

The problem: The net quantity (weight or volume) must be accurate and declared in the correct units. Declaring 500g when the actual weight is 480g is a compliance issue.

How to avoid it: Weigh your products accurately and account for any moisture loss during storage. Use appropriate tolerances and check regularly.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Labelling mistakes can result in:

How Crumpet Helps

Crumpet is designed to eliminate these common mistakes:

Start free and see how much easier compliant labelling can be.