Unpacking the Chaos: How EU and UK Food Labelling Complexity Impacts Consumers and Businesses

Food labelling is meant to guide us – helping consumers make informed ethical, dietary and environmental choices while enabling food businesses to comply with regulations. But in the EU and UK, the sheer complexity of labelling requirements, driven by overlapping rules and added information, has made labels confusing for all.

In this blog, Rebecca Kaya explores the challenges posed by siloed regulations and excessive on-pack details.

It could be claimed that the somewhat siloed nature and multiplicity of bodies concerned with policy, interpretation and enforcement of food labelling requirements in both the EU and UK is helping make packaged food labelling far too complex – for both consumers and food business operators (FBOs). 

This week, the European Court of Auditors published a report on food labels, concluding they are increasingly confusing for consumers. Labels now contain an extensive mix of on-pack information. This includes, not only the required mandatory food information, but also additional information such as ingredient source detail and environmental statements. FBOs are now adding these to allow consumers to exercise both ethical and dietary choices. 

The European Court of Auditors report mirrors some of the finding in the April 2024 WHICH? investigation into food origin labelling at supermarkets in the UK. This reported ‘inconsistent, meaningless and misleading’ labelling concerning Country of Origin Labelling (COOL). The investigation admitted that many food retailers who were the subject of scrutiny, were in full compliance with the ‘post Brexit’ complex rules on COOL, which suggests that a number of fundamental reforms need to be considered. 

What then, are the prospects and drivers for clearer food labelling?

In the UK, with the Windsor Framework labelling arrangements and the soon to be mandatory packaging waste instructions for consumers, as well as the Devolved Administrations adding their perspectives, the situation isn’t getting any easier to navigate. 

It’s not all bad news, however, there is an understanding in both the UK and the EU that things must change. DEFRA’s consultation seeking views on fairer food labelling issued in March 2024, might create the opportunity to move towards more universally applied labelling practices. Similarly, the EU Regulation permitting the use of QR codes for food information on wine labels might also prove a catalyst for wholesale change and reform for food labelling. 

In conclusion, consumers will continue to look for a wide range of information on food products to help them make the right ethical and dietary choices. In tandem, FBOs will also continue to innovate for lesser planetary impacts for their products alongside the drives for mandatory and universal labelling. 

In consequence, food labels will continue to contain, and rightly so, an enormous amount of information which perhaps suggests the way forward should centre around labelling format as opposed to information inclusion.

Authorities in the EU and the UK can also play their part by continuing to engage with FBOs and forge legislative pathways towards clear and honest food labelling.