Lesson 1Overview of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: scope, key terms, and legal hierarchyIntroduces Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, explaining its scope, key definitions, and relationship with other EU and national rules, including vertical legislation, claims regulation, and general food law hierarchy.
Objectives and scope of the RegulationKey definitions relevant to labelling practiceRelationship with General Food Law RegulationInteraction with vertical product-specific rulesRole of guidance, FAQs, and national measuresLesson 2Mandatory information for prepacked foods: list and legal placement requirementsProvides an overview of all mandatory particulars for prepacked foods under Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and related acts, explaining which items must appear together, their legal placement, and how to structure compliant information panels.
Full list of mandatory label particularsField of vision and same field requirementsGrouping information on the back-of-pack panelFront-of-pack elements and legal expectationsUse of multi-panel and peel-back labelsLesson 3Net quantity and measurement units: calculation, rounding rules, and placement requirementsExplains how to declare net quantity for liquids, solids, and variable-weight products, including measurement units, calculation and rounding rules, and where the net quantity must be placed in relation to other label information.
Units for liquids, solids, and semi-solidsNet quantity versus drained weight declarationsRounding rules and tolerable negative errorsPlacement near product name and same field rulesSpecial rules for multipacks and e-mark useLesson 4Language, legibility and minimum font size requirements (including contrast and positioning)Details language, legibility, and minimum font size rules, including x-height, contrast, and positioning, and explains how to design labels that remain readable on small packs while still meeting all mandatory information requirements.
Official language requirements by Member StateMinimum font size and x-height calculationContrast, background, and print quality factorsPositioning text around seams and curvesStrategies for small packaging and multi-lingual packsLesson 5Storage conditions and specific conditions of use: required phrasing and link to date markingExplains when storage conditions and conditions of use are mandatory, how to phrase them clearly, and how they must link to date marking, including chilled foods, frozen foods, and products requiring specific handling by consumers.
When storage instructions are legally requiredLinking storage conditions to date markingStandard phrases for chilled and frozen productsInstructions for safe handling and preparationImpact of storage on shelf life and safetyLesson 6Allergen labelling: list of 14 allergens, emphasising visibility, emphasis rules, and cross-contamination guidanceDetails the list of 14 regulated allergens, rules for emphasising them in ingredient lists, and guidance on precautionary allergen labelling for cross-contamination, including risk assessment and wording best practices.
The 14 EU-listed allergens and typical sourcesEmphasis rules within the ingredients listAllergen statements for non-prepacked formatsUse and limits of precautionary allergen labellingCleaning, segregation, and risk assessment linksLesson 7Voluntary claims vs mandatory statements: interaction with nutrition/health claims regulation (Regulation 1924/2006)Explains how voluntary marketing claims interact with mandatory statements under Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and Regulation (EC) 1924/2006, covering claim conditions, substantiation, and how to avoid misleading overall presentation.
Scope of Regulation (EC) 1924/2006 for claimsConditions for nutrition and health claims on packsInteraction between claims and mandatory nutrition dataUse of disclaimers, qualifiers, and clarifying notesAssessing overall impression to avoid misleading claimsLesson 8Nutrition declaration: mandatory nutrients, format, reference intakes, and tolerance rulesDetails mandatory nutrition declaration elements, permitted formats, reference intakes, and tolerance rules, explaining how to calculate, round, and present nutrient values while ensuring consistency with claims and other label information.
Mandatory nutrients and permitted additional itemsTabular and linear formats and order of nutrientsUse of reference intakes and % RI calculationsAnalytical data, calculation methods, and roundingTolerances, control ranges, and enforcement checksLesson 9Business name and address: operator identification requirements and variations for EU distributionDescribes how to identify the food business operator responsible for labelling, acceptable forms of name and address, and variations for EU-wide distribution, including use of central addresses and contact channels.
Who is the responsible food business operatorRequired elements of name and postal addressUsing group, brand, or central contact detailsVariations for importers and private label brandsDigital contact options and traceability linksLesson 10Date marking: 'use by' vs. 'best before', date formats, and conditions for chilled ready-to-eat foodsClarifies the difference between “use by” and “best before” dates, required formats, and how to apply them to chilled ready-to-eat foods, including safety considerations, shelf-life studies, and consumer handling assumptions.
Criteria for choosing use by versus best beforeDate format rules and language requirementsShelf-life studies and safety margins for chilled foodsLinking date marking to storage instructionsHandling frozen, defrosted, and relabelled productsLesson 11Origin labelling: rules for meat, fish, and when origin/ place of provenance is mandatory vs voluntaryExplains when origin or place of provenance is mandatory, specific rules for meat and fish, and how voluntary origin claims must be substantiated and not mislead, including primary ingredient origin rules.
Mandatory origin for certain meats and fishWhen origin is required to avoid misleadingVoluntary origin and regional marketing claimsPrimary ingredient origin disclosure rulesDocumentation and traceability for origin claimsLesson 12Ingredient list rules: sequence, compound ingredients, and quantitative ingredient declaration (QUID)Explores ingredient list rules, including order of ingredients, compound ingredients, and QUID, explaining when percentage indications are required and how to present them without misleading consumers or obscuring allergens.
Order of ingredients by weight at mixing stageLabelling compound ingredients and componentsWhen QUID is mandatory and how to calculate itPresentation of QUID percentages near the nameHandling processing aids and carry-over additivesLesson 13Food safety and non-misleading presentation: front-of-pack information considerations and prohibited practicesExamines how food information must not mislead, focusing on front-of-pack practices, voluntary schemes, and prohibited presentations, including exaggeration, health halos, and obscuring mandatory safety or nutrition information.
General principles on non-misleading informationFront-of-pack claims, symbols, and imagesAvoiding health halos and exaggeration of benefitsProhibited omissions and hidden qualificationsBalancing marketing with clear safety messagingLesson 14Food name and legal denomination: rules for descriptive names and non-misleading labellingCovers legal names, customary names, and descriptive names, explaining hierarchy, when a descriptive name is allowed, and how to avoid misleading consumers through omissions, ambiguity, or presentation of the food name.
Hierarchy of legal, customary, and descriptive namesUsing descriptive names when no legal name existsAvoiding misleading or ambiguous product namesUse of reserved names and protected designationsAdditional particulars required with the food name
