Product labelling: the law
You don鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檙e 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 鈥榰nit price鈥�) 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鈥檛 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.