Training Programmes for Food Producers on Compliant Labelling Practices

Clear, accurate and compliant labelling is essential for all food manufacturers and food vendors. Consumers have a legal right to know what is in the food that they purchase. 

Compliant and accurate labelling is especially important for people with food allergies and intolerances, people with certain health conditions such as diabetes, those who are trying to lose weight and for people who follow a strict diet for religious, ethical or health reasons, for example being a vegan. 

In light of growing consumer expectations and evolving regulations, food producers face increasing pressure to keep up with changes and stay informed on best practice. To achieve these standards, it is important to undertake comprehensive training that explains legislation, regulatory requirements and exactly what key information food labels require. 

The aim of this article is to explain the importance of accurate food labelling and the key components of effective training programmes that are designed to help food producers understand and implement compliant labelling practices.  

Importance of Compliant Labelling

Compliant labelling is essential as labels on food communicate vital information to consumers. Using labels that meet regulatory and industry standards also protects businesses from legal action. 

If a food-related incident occurs due to incorrect labelling or missing information, this can have devastating consequences that can include:

• Illness or even fatality if a person has a serious allergy
• Legal action against the business resulting in severe penalties
• Permanent damage to a business’s reputation
• Loss of trust from consumers

Accurate food labels are also essential for traceability purposes. 

Key regulatory bodies in food standards include:

• The Food Standards Agency (FSA) that regulates food safety in the UK
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that regulates food safety in Europ
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that regulates food safety in the US
• The Codex Alimentarius which is a large international body which sets food standards, guidelines and codes of practice in the international trade of food and agricultural products

The Codex international standards are voluntary ‘good practice’ rather than being legally binding. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the Codex contact in the UK.

Training programmes should be relevant to the jurisdiction in which workers are working (and export to), as there are some differences between regulations set out by the above authorities. Most of our article will focus on legislation in England, although many of the principles around training apply more broadly. 

To sell food and drink, labels must be:

• Clear, easy to read and understand
• Permanent
• Easily visible
• Not misleading

Ingredients should be listed by weight, with the main ingredient first. 

In the UK, food labels must show the following information (sometimes called mandatory particulars):

• Name of the food
• A ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date
• Any necessary warnings
• Net quantity information
• A list of ingredients (if there is more than one) in descending order
• The country or place of origin, if required
• The lot number or use-by date
• Any special storage conditions
• Instructions for use or cooking, if necessary

Knowledge about the 14 main allergens and how to identify and highlight them is a fundamental component of compliant allergen labelling. 

The 14 allergens are:

• Celery
• Cereals that contain gluten (including wheat, barley and oats)
• Crustaceans (including prawns and crabs)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lupin
• Milk
• Molluscs (including mussels and oysters)
• Mustard
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soy
• Sulphur dioxide/sulphites (if they are at a higher concentration than 10 parts per million)
• Tree nuts (including hazelnuts, pistachios cashews and walnuts)

Effective training programmes should build on the above labelling requirements, explaining why they are important and how they should be communicated, as well as the consequences of not adhering to regulations.

The law has specific requirements for selling pre-packaged food and non-prepacked food, which should be clearly explained during training. 

All consumers have a right to know that the food they buy is safe for them to eat. Accurate labelling is important to communicate information to all consumers and is especially important to people who have specific dietary requirements, for example:

• People with food allergies and food sensitivities
• Vegetarians and vegans
• Diabetics who need to check sugar and carbohydrate content so that they can match it with their insulin
• People with health conditions such as cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure who need to carefully monitor fat content, trans fats, salt and sugar
• People following halal or kosher diets
• Anyone trying to lose weight

Unclear, confusing or ineffective labels may put customers off and cause them to choose a different brand with better labels. 

Components of Effective Training Programmes

Effective training programmes in food safety and labelling should ideally be:

• Engaging and where possible interactive (e.g. drag and drop exercises or clickable pictures)
• Have an emphasis on practical examples and real-world scenarios
• Be easy to understand and free from jargon and complex concepts
• Eye-catching and feature a mix of text and visual content (infographics, pictures, video etc) or audio content
• Examples of good food labels and bad ones
• Contain some statistics and real-life scenarios to reinforce the real-world implications of food labelling

Key topics that should be covered in training on food labelling include:

• Regulatory requirements and relevant legislation
• Label design
• Ingredients lists and declarations
• Allergen information
• Nutritional content

Training programmes can be delivered in different ways, for example:

• Via e-learning
• In a classroom environment
• In a workshop
• In a seminar
• Using hands-on learning

Everyone should leave their training sessions with the key knowledge they require to ensure that they can perform their job competently and compliantly. Minimally, after completing training, food workers should understand:

• Food safety legislation and regulation on labelling
• What constitutes a food label, which foods need it and examples of how food labels look
• Effective label design
• Durability, clarity and attaching of labels
• How to list ingredients and in what order
• How to highlight allergens
• Which foods are controlled by product specific regulations
• Precautionary labelling (‘may contain’ allergens)
• Nutritional labelling and traffic light system for sugar, fat, saturated fat and sa
• Weights and measurements

To check everyone’s understanding (and to some extent to measure the efficacy of the course), there needs to be some kind of assessment at the end. The assessment should ask questions and present scenarios and problems for test takers to solve in order to check their comprehension. 

Some training programmes will provide a certificate upon successful completion of the learning components and competency assessment. 

Getting certified in food safety and compliance has benefits for workers including:

• It demonstrates a commitment to industry standards
• A certificate may enhance your employment opportunities in future
• It may boost confidence and encourage further learning and education
• It proves that you have the skills and knowledge to pass your training

Benefits of Training Programmes 

Some training can be done in-house or on the job; however, due to the complexity of food law and the changes that can occur in response to high profile incidents and court rulings, an external provider is more likely to be able to provide up-to-date and expert knowledge. Later in the article we will list some trusted providers of food safety courses.

Some of the benefits of training programmes for food producers include: 

• Improved regulatory compliance
• A reduction in food-related incidents
• More accurate and clear labels
• An empowered and knowledgeable workforce
• Increased trust from consumers
• Improvements in quality control and assurance
• Greater efficiency and output as less time is spent correcting mistakes or asking for help with issues that arise

Case Studies and Examples

Below are some examples of how widespread confusion is around allergies and food labelling, which can sometimes have dire consequences. It is therefore vital that staff who work with food are trained and that labels are clear and accurate, in order to safeguard consumers. 

In 2023, a 13-year-old girl died after drinking a Costa Coffee and experiencing severe anaphylaxis due to a milk allergy. 

An inquest found there had been a ‘failure in communication’ and campaigners have called for better awareness about allergens and anaphylaxis. 

During the inquest it was found that allergen training for staff consisted of only a series of online modules that could be accessed at home and a quiz which trainees had to pass, which was clearly not sufficient in this case.

The above example shows the importance of sending staff on comprehensive and accredited courses. 

A survey of 1,287 UK participants found that almost three quarters of respondents (including those with food allergies) believed that food labelled vegan was free from animal products and would therefore be safe to eat by people who had allergies to some of the various 14 common allergies including milk, molluscs, eggs and fish. 

A belief that vegan food is safe from common animal-based allergens is a misconception, as cross-contact can occur due to manufacturing, storage and handling procedures. 

The Food Standards Agency has published updated guidance on new food allergen labelling and precautionary guidance.

This example highlights the widespread misunderstanding amongst the general public around food labelling and allergens.

Furthermore, people can become ill due to other issues with food labels, for example incorrect information relating to cooking instructions. 

Best Practices for Developing and Implementing Training Programmes

To make sure staff get the most out of their training, employers should select training courses that are highly rated and reputable and relevant to their business needs. When selecting a training programme, they should consider the size and scope of their operation, the needs of their workforce and the specific products they handle. 

• Sending all staff in the business on food labelling training courses, regardless of their department, promotes a culture of care and compliance
• Employers should monitor and review their processes regularly to ensure continued adherence to the rules. Additionally, employers should be leading by example
• An emphasis should be put on continuous learning, with employees encouraged to build on their existing training and keep up to date with regulatory and legislative changes
• Employers should ensure that new workers have done a training programme before completing any tasks
• Refresher training should be conducted periodically, especially after a significant change to the workforce, a change to processes or methods or when new legislation is passed
• Ensure that staff have access to adequate resources and ongoing support at work in order to help them implement strategies that they have learned from their training

If one type of training fails to yield the desired results, there are many more to try. Asking for specific feedback from staff about how useful, relevant and easy to digest their training was, is a good way to measure its effectiveness or identify any gaps in their knowledge. 

Resources and Support

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has free online training to help employees and businesses comply with food hygiene and food safety standards. 

They offer courses in:

• Online allergy training
• Root cause analysis training

The FSA previously offered courses in food labelling; however, they have been removed due to being outdated and instead they now signpost people to the gov.uk website’s information on food labelling and labelling advice.

The Business Companion website offers advice to businesses and individuals who need to know about Trading Standards and consumer protection legislation, including food labelling.

The Food Information Regulations 2014 outline the regulations that all food producers and suppliers must adhere to. You can read them in full here.

For consumers

Future Learn has an e-learning course on understanding food labels that is aimed at consumers. 

For businesses and employees

At CPD Online College we offer training and certification in Food Labelling Regulations. 

Core components of the course include:

• Information on the legal requirements for labelling under the Food Information Regulations 2014 and the FIC Regulation (food information to consumers)
• The importance of allergen labelling, nutrition information, traceability
• The labelling requirements for pre-packaged and loose food
• Rules for labelling presentations
• Mandatory particulars

The course is approved by the Institute of Hospitality (IoH), the world’s largest body for people working in hospitality professions. Additionally, the course is Environmental Health Officer (EHO) approved. 

Conclusion

If you are a food producer, it is important to invest in your workforce as they are the frontline in protecting both consumers and the business by ensuring accurate information is present on food labels. 

Effective training programmes are a fundamental part of ensuring compliant labelling methods; however, this should be reinforced by upholding good practice in the workplace, as well as providing adequate resources, ongoing support and opportunities for further learning.