Items that must go on food labels by law include:

Name of product - Tells consumer what they are buying and mustn't give a false impression e.g. Strawberry Yoghurt must contain strawberries where as "flavoured" yoghurts don't have to.

Ingredients - Must me in a list of descending weight. If water makes up more than 5% then it must be listed.

Date mark - All foods should be date marked apart from very long life products.

Storage instructions - The storage instructions should be given so that the date mark is valid.

Name and address of manufacturer - This is shown for comments / complaints and questions the consumer may wish to ask.

Place of origin - Some products may appear misleading if their place of origin is not stated.

Preparation instructions - Should be shown especially on high risk foods so all of bacteria are killed during cooking.

Weight or quantity - So as consumer can compare fairly.

Special claims - e.g. Suitable for Vegetarians.