Food Labelling and Marketing Influences

Reading the Label — and Resisting the Marketing

Every pre-packed food product in the UK must carry specific information required by law. Alongside this mandatory information, manufacturers add optional content designed to make their product look as appealing — and as healthy — as possible. Knowing the difference between what is legally required and what is promotional is a critical consumer skill. On top of that, marketing techniques — from buy-one-get-one-free offers to celebrity endorsements on social media — can quietly steer purchases away from the foods that best meet a person's nutritional needs.

Mandatory Information on Pre-Packed Food

UK food labelling legislation, aligned with the principles established by both EU regulations and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), requires the following information on all pre-packed food:

• Name of the food — the legal name, not just a brand name. A product called “Sunny Gold” must also state “orange-flavoured drink” if it contains little actual juice.
• List of ingredients — in descending order of weight. If sugar is the first ingredient listed, it is the predominant ingredient by weight.
• Allergen information — the 14 major allergens (including nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, fish and shellfish) must be emphasised in the ingredients list, typically in bold text.
• Net quantity — the weight or volume of the product.
• Date marking — either a “use by” date (safety — do not consume after this date) or a “best before” date (quality — still safe to eat after this date but quality may have declined).
• Storage conditions and instructions for use — e.g. “keep refrigerated below 5°C” or “once opened, consume within two days”.
• Name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller within the UK or EU.
• Country of origin — required for specific foods such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish and honey.
• Nutrition declaration — mandatory for most pre-packed foods. Must include energy (kJ and kcal), fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt per 100 g or 100 ml.

Non-Mandatory Information

Manufacturers may choose to include additional information that goes beyond legal requirements. Common examples include: provenance information (“made in Yorkshire”, “free-range eggs from Cornish hens”); serving suggestions (“serve with fresh salad”); quality claims (“award-winning recipe”); and environmental or welfare certifications such as the Fairtrade mark or the RSPCA Assured logo. These claims are voluntary but must not be misleading.

How to Interpret Nutritional Labelling

The mandatory nutrition declaration shows values per 100 g (or 100 ml for drinks). Manufacturers often also show values per portion, though the declared portion size may be smaller than what a typical person actually eats. A bag of crisps labelled “per serving (25 g)” may contain two servings; a person who eats the whole bag consumes double the labelled figures.

Reference Intakes (RIs) are the guideline daily amounts for an average adult consuming 2,000 kcal per day. The label may show the percentage of the RI that a serving contributes. For example, a meal containing 3 g of salt provides 50% of the adult daily RI for salt (6 g). This helps consumers compare products at a glance.

Traffic light labelling uses colour-coded icons (red, amber or green) for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt to make nutritional information instantly accessible. Red means high, amber means medium, green means low. A product with mostly green lights is considered a healthier choice than one with multiple red lights. Traffic light labelling is voluntary but widely used by major UK supermarkets and manufacturers.

How Marketing Influences Food Choice

Food marketing is highly sophisticated. Techniques range from in-store promotions to digital advertising targeting specific demographics. The key marketing methods from the specification are:

• Buy one get one free (BOGOF) and special offers: These promotions encourage buying larger quantities than needed, often for foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt. A household may buy three multi-packs of biscuits because of a deal, consuming more biscuits that week than they otherwise would.
• Meal deals: A fixed-price meal deal at a supermarket or convenience store (sandwich, snack, drink) often guides the consumer toward specific products — frequently those with higher profit margins for the retailer. The drink in a meal deal is rarely water; it is usually a sugary juice or fizzy drink.
• Media and advertising: Television, social media influencers, celebrity endorsements and sponsored content shape brand perception and product desirability. Children are particularly susceptible to advertising, which is why restrictions on junk food advertising before 9 pm exist in UK broadcast regulations.
• Point of sale marketing: Products placed at eye level, near tills or at the end of supermarket aisles (called “end-of-aisle” or “gondola end” displays) sell in greater quantities than items shelved elsewhere, regardless of their nutritional quality. Sweets and chocolates placed at checkout height for children are a deliberate point-of-sale strategy.