Accuracy and legibility

A label only protects customers if they can read it and it is right. Information must be easy to see and clearly legible, and it must be difficult to remove. It must not be hidden or interrupted by other text or pictures. Customers must not have to open the pack to read it.

Mandatory information needs a minimum x-height of 1.2 mm. The x-height is the height of a lower-case 'x'. If the largest surface of the packaging is less than 80 cm², the minimum is 0.9 mm. Handwritten labels are allowed if they meet these rules and are clearly legible.

Watch for everyday problems. Condensation in a chiller can smudge ink. Heat lamps can fade print. A label folded around the corner of a sandwich pack can hide part of the list. An old template may still be loaded on the printer.

Mixed-up labels are a serious risk. A chicken sandwich label on a prawn sandwich hides crustaceans from someone with an allergy. Make and label one product at a time, and clear the bench before you start the next. Check that the right label is on the right food before it goes out.

The recipe must also match the label on every batch. If a member of staff 'improves' a recipe, the label is wrong until it is updated.