As with all packaged foods, chilled foods must comply with current legislation on food labelling. The label will list not only all the ingredients in descending order by weight but will also carry a 'use by date' as well as any additional information such as the food's country of origin, cooking instructions, or the presence of allergens. All CFA members' production sites have strict regimes for handling known allergens, such as peanuts.
Where no specific legislation exists CFA recommends its members follow best practice or specific voluntary agreements or advice. For example, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed criteria on the use of certain marketing terms, such as 'fresh' and CFA recommends that its members follow FSA advice accordingly.
Nutrition information
If a nutrient content claim (i.e. low in fat, rich in calcium) is made on the label this triggers the legal requirement for nutrition labelling. CFA members voluntarily provide information on:
- The energy value of the food in kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal)
- The amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat in grams (g)
Although optional, unless a specific claim is made, most food labels provide information on the sugar, saturated fat, fibre and sodium contents.
Information may also be provided on the amounts of saturated or polyunsaturated fats. Information has to be given as values per 100g or per 100ml of food. Values per portion size can be given as well.
