Food: Labelling

The level of sugar in food and drink is already shown on food and drink packaging, in the majority of cases, which enables consumers to make informed choices. There are no plans at this time to change food labelling regulations regarding sugar levels in food. However, we continue to monitor the evidence on how food labelling impacts the choices and consumption habits of consumers.

General food labelling legislation sets out requirements for food labelling. It is mandatory for food and drink packaging to include a nutrition declaration, which shows the quantities of nutrients contained within them, including sugar. The legislation also allows for the inclusion of voluntary additional information on the packaging, which may help to inform consumers.

The United Kingdom has implemented the multiple traffic lights (MTL) label, which is a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system. It provides nutritional information for products at a glance in a simple and easy way that consumers can understand. The MTL label shows the quantity of energy, fat, saturates, sugar, and salt contained in the food or drink. The UK was one of the first countries to introduce a national front-of-pack labelling system and it continues to be widely used by consumers and some businesses.