If you decide to translate the label yourself, you will be liable for any problems arising from that translation Spring 2017 Food labelling Lost in translation Consumer protection is seriously undermined if people can’t understand food labels if you supply food produced with foreign-language labelling, have you checked that all the necessary english-language labelling is also present? if not, there could be serious consequences for your business. in 2009, a market trader was ned £3,500 for selling foreign-labelled chocolates that did not declare the presence of nuts in english and, in 2014, a company was prosecuted for a similar o ence and faced costs of £4,590. Food-information legislation requires that food and drink labels should be ‘in a language easily understood by the consumers of the member states where a food is marketed’. in the UK, this is accepted as english, so it is an o ence to supply foreign-language-labelled food without an english translation. a list of ingredients alone is not enough – the english labelling must include all of the following, mandatory information: l name of the food (the name must accurately describe the food to a UK purchaser) l list of ingredients l Percentage quantity indication for certain ingredients (known as a ‘QUid’ declaration) l Use-by date, ‘best before’ or ‘best before end’ date l Special storage conditions or conditions of use, if required to make appropriate use of the food l name and address of the responsible food business operator l Place of origin, if its omission could mislead l nutrition information declaration (energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars and protein) additional languages – for non-english speakers – can, of course, also appear on the label. Translating labels The english translation should be done by the manufacturer of the food or the business operator indicated on the label. if you decide to translate the label yourself, you will be liable for any problems arising from that translation. You will also have to add your business name and address to the label. So it is inadvisable to go down this route without discussing the matter with your local Trading Standards or environmental Health o ce. Consumer protection a label gives the consumer essential information, but the protection this a ords is undermined if the label is in a language that they do not understand. it is also vital that any english translation is accurate. incorrect labelling can have serious health implications for allergy su erers, diabetics and infants. reSponSibiLiTieS retailers: they must ensure the list of ingredients is on the label in English before they put the food on their shelves. Wholesalers: they must also make sure the mandatory information is provided for prepacked food that will, ultimately, be sold to consumers. This can be done by labelling each food item with all mandatory food information in English (as above) or by supplying all mandatory food information in English on documents. If the latter method is chosen, however, the outer packaging of the food must also be labelled with the following information, in English: l name of the food l Use-by date or an indication of minimum durability l Special storage conditions or conditions of use l name and address of the responsible food business operator importers: if you import food from outside the EU, you become the responsible food business operator and you will need to add your business name and address to the packaging. The Food Standards Agency has further information on imported food on its website. Credit: Stuart Powell images: iStock.com / vgajic For further information please contact your local Trading Standards Service Spring 2017 Food CRiMe Lost in translation Consumer protection is seriously undermined if people can’t understand food labels