Product labelling: the law

You don’t have to show particular information on the label for every kind of product, but if you include it you must be accurate. There are special rules for some products, and for retailers.

Labels must not be misleading about things like:

  • quantity or size
  • the price
  • what it’s made of
  • how, where and when it was made
  • what you say it can do
  • the people or organisations that endorse it

You must include safety information for products that could be dangerous.

Your business sector

You must follow special rules if you manufacture, distribute or sell:

Rules for retailers

If you’re a retailer, you must display:

  • the price of products - this must be in sterling (pounds and pence) and include VAT where applicable
  • the price of a single item (the ‘unit price’) for products that you sell loose
  • metric measures (like kilograms, centimetres or litres) for unit pricing - except for some products (for example, beer is still sold in pints)

If you don’t follow the rules you can be prosecuted.

Talk to your local Trading Standards office if you have questions about how to label your products correctly.