1. Self-assessment for registered food businesses
All food businesses must complete an online self-assessment within 28 days of registration. If not completed, Trading Standards will arrange a compliance inspection.
2. Advice & auditing services
Staffordshire Trading Standards offers support and auditing on legal requirements covering:
- Food composition
- Labelling standards
- Packaging rules
Business support is available upon request
3. Inspection & enforcement
Regulators conduct routine inspections. Non-compliant or unsafe food may be seized. Legal action will follow in serious cases.
4. Mandatory food labelling rules
All packaged foods must:
- Be labelled in clear English
- List allergens in uppercase (e.g., MILK, EGGS)
- Identify ingredients with colourings/E numbers and related warnings
- Include functions of additives (e.g., preservative)
- Show nutritional information correctly formatted
- State the Food Business Operator (FBO) with a UK address
All non-compliant items must be removed from sale.
5. Traceability responsibilities
Operators must retain invoices/receipts to trace the origin of each food item. Only UK-origin foods can be sold unless explicitly permitted.
6. Food additive restrictions
Certain additives are banned, including:
- Brominated vegetable oil
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- Sodium erythorbate
- Tartrazine (E102)
- Erythrosine (E127)
- Bleached flour agents
- White mineral oil
- Konjac or Carrageenan in jellies/confectionery
- Zinc aspartate
Imported confectionery must be safe and labelled correctly. Regular inspections are conducted to identify and remove such goods.
7. Allergen handling rules
They must:
- Clearly display allergen information for unpackaged foods (on menus, signs, verbally or in writing)
- Maintain visible notices or verbal guidance directing customers to allergen info
- Provide allergen details for online, takeaway, delivery, and telephone orders
- Not use ambiguous disclaimers like "may contain allergens"
Food businesses must comply even when customers provide their own “chef’s cards” detailing allergies.