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Information » Environment » People » Consumer Labelling

  • Labels are everywhere. They can give you information about the food you eat and the things you buy. It is a legal requirement that labels give an accurate representation of the product they are on

  • You should be aware that some of the ways companies describe their products may be misleading. There is no definition of the word ' natural' for instance. If you have any doubts, you should always check the details on the label

  • A product must have some relation to the description on the label. For instance if a yoghurt has pictures of strawberries on it then the flavour must come mostly from strawberries

  • Many 'healthy option' foods, particularly low-fat options, often contain added amounts of salt and sugar to make them taste better, so make sure you check the ingredients on the label

  • Be careful of products that claim they are green or eco-friendly, as they may not always be kind to the environment. If in doubt, look out for specific claims, such as '60 per cent recycled', or for quality marks such as the one from the Soil Association which guarantees something is organic

  • If you think a product is wrongly labelled, you can contact the company who manufacture it or your local trading standards department

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