Labelling food products

Certain foods have reserved descriptions or specific composition rules under EU, UK and Northern Ireland labelling laws. These ensure products meet defined standards for ingredients and quality. Laws apply to these products with extra requirements around labelling and contents.

Common categories of such products include:

• organic food
• genetically modified (GM) food
• bread and flour
• honey
• fruit juices and nectars
• jams and preserves
• meat products - eg pies and sausages
• quick frozen food
• medical foods
• infant formula and follow-on formula
• baby foods

Not every product is required to meet these extra rules. You should first identify if your product fits a category above. If so, follow both the specific rules that apply to that category, and the basic labelling requirements (name of food, ingredients list, allergens, use-by dates, quantity, your business details) to keep things legal and clear for customers.

Quick guidance by category

This is not an exhaustive source of information. Below are short summaries only and direct links to rules for each product type.

Organic food

You can label food 'organic' if 95%+ of ingredients are certified organic. Labels must show origin, control body code and EU logo (for EU/NI produced products). See more on organic labelling. 

GM foods

Foods must say on their label if they contain or consist of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or contain ingredients produced from GMOs. See more on labelling genetically modified food products.

Bread and flour

The Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 contain specific rules on the mandatory addition of certain vitamins and minerals - including folic acid - to non-wholemeal common wheat flour, specifying quantities and chemical forms. They also set out rules on the use of bread dough conditioners and other additives, and the terms “wholemeal” and “wheat germ” in labelling. See Bread and Flour Regulations.

Honey

The Honey Regulations contain rules on honey production, including permitted names, compositional criteria and labelling requirements. See Honey Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 for more details. Naming and labelling rules, especially for blended honeys, will be updated from 14 June 2026 via the Breakfast Foods (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026.

Fruit juices and nectars

The Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations contain rules on the different categories of fruit juices and fruit nectars, along with specifications for their labelling and compositional requirements. See  Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations.

Jams and preserves

The Jam and Similar Products Regulations contain the reserved descriptions, compositional standards and labelling requirements for jams, jellies, marmalades, sweetened chestnut purée, curds, lemon cheese and mincemeat. Including permitted ingredients and minimum fruit content requirements.
See Jam and Similar Products Regulations.

Meat and meat products

Minimum meat content rules apply. You must include meat ingredient declarations and information about added ingredients. See Meat Products Regulations.

Quick frozen foods

Labels must give storage temperatures and defrosting advice. Information appears in a set format. See Quick Frozen Foodstuffs Regulations.

Infant and follow-on formula

Strict rules cover composition, labelling and advertising. For details, see Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations. 

It's also important to note that some foods, such as meat, eggs or wine, must also meet marketing standards for food and drink products, which set additional rules on labelling and product descriptions.