Frequently Asked Questions

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We specialise in UK and GB food labelling and regulatory compliance, helping food and drink brands ensure their product labels, websites, and marketing materials are legally compliant, clear, and accurate, so you avoid costly mistakes and future headaches. 

Most of our work is with food and drink start-ups, challenger brands, and small to medium-sized manufacturers, but we also support established businesses looking for expert compliance checks. Our services range from straightforward food label reviews and reformulation advice for nutrition and health claims, to ongoing regulatory support, acting as your virtual in-house compliance specialist, without the cost of hiring full-time staff. 

You absolutely can draft your own food label, and many brands start with a first version themselves. However, food labelling regulations are complex, it’s not as simple as adding an ingredient list and nutrition table. There are strict rules around product names, mandatory statements, allergen declarations, country of origin, nutrition and health claims, HFSS requirements, distance selling, legibility, and all the grey areas in between. 

A food labelling compliance expert knows what to look for and can save you time, money, and stress by catching issues before they lead to product recalls, Trading Standards investigations, or costly reprints. Our role is to make sure your label is legal, defensible, and aligned with your brand, while explaining the rules in plain language, so you understand the “what” and “why,” not just a “computer says no” response. 

The earlier you involve a compliance expert, the better. Ideally, you should bring us in once you know your product concept, how it will be sold, and in which markets, but before the packaging design is finalised and definitely before printing.

We can work from a draft recipe, basic nutrition estimate, and outline copy, and build everything up from there. We also step in later if needed, for example, if your designer already has a draft or you’ve had a query from a retailer or enforcement officer. However, it’s always cheaper and easier to get compliance right at the concept and artwork stage than to fix problems after something has gone wrong.

To complete a food labelling compliance review, we typically need the following information:

• Product name and description
• Full ingredient list, including QUIDs (Quantitative Ingredient Declarations) where required
• Allergen information
• Nutrition data (or enough details for us to calculate it)
• Pack size and portion size if applicable
• Any claims you want to make (e.g., nutrition or health claims)
• Draft artwork or text for your packaging

If you have supplier specifications or technical sheets, that’s even better; these allow us to check details like additives, processing methods, and country of origin accurately.

Not sure what you have or where to start? We’ll guide you through exactly what we need and in what format, so the process is smooth and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth.

The time required for a food labelling compliance review depends on the complexity of your product and how organised your information is. A straightforward UK food label check for a single product can often be completed quickly once we have all the necessary details.

More complex projects, such as multi-flavour ranges, HFSS (High Fat, Salt, Sugar) assessments, health claims, food supplements, or multi-country packaging compliance, will take longer. We’ll always be transparent about turnaround times so you know what to expect.

If you have a hard deadline for print or retailer submission, let us know from the start so we can confirm whether it’s realistic and plan the work accordingly. Early involvement helps avoid costly delays, compliance risks, and last-minute reprints.

For simple projects like a straightforward UK food label compliance check, we offer fixed-fee pricing so you know exactly what you’re paying for. For more complex work or ongoing regulatory support, we provide hourly rates or flexible retainer packages. With a retainer, you purchase a block of time, and we track usage carefully, sending you a detailed breakdown of what’s been done.

This approach allows you to access expert food labelling and compliance services as needed, without committing to a full-time hire. If you tell us your goals and roughly how many products are involved, we’ll recommend the most cost-effective option, never overselling services you don’t need.

In most cases, work begins once a proposal has been agreed. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, payment may be required upfront or staged according to clear milestones.

For retainers and smaller projects, invoices are due on receipt, and we keep you updated on how much time has been used. Our goal is to be fair, flexible, and transparent, while ensuring clarity from the start. Once work is booked into our schedule and delivered, that time is allocated to you, so it’s important we agree on scope, fees, and payment terms upfront.

Please note: For new clients we haven’t worked with before, we require full payment upfront before starting any compliance work. 

One of the most common questions we hear is: “If a claim or wording appears on a product label or website, does that mean it’s compliant?” The short answer is no. Just because something is on a shelf or online doesn’t guarantee compliance, it often means it hasn’t been challenged yet, or you haven’t seen the regulatory headaches behind the scenes. 

There are many reasons why a competitor’s claim might exist:

• Regulations may have changed since their packaging was printed.
• They might be taking more risk than you’re comfortable with.
• They could have evidence you don’t have.
• Or, quite simply, the claim could be wrong.

Our role isn’t to copy what others are doing, it’s to give you clear, accurate guidance based on your product, your evidence, and current food and drink compliance rules. We’ll also flag where the risk is too high, so you can make informed decisions.

Ultimately, we want you to stay on the right side of auditors and Trading Standards, not win an argument based on “but they’re doing it”. Compliance is about protecting your brand, avoiding costly mistakes, and building trust with consumers.

A large part of our work focuses on the complex areas of food compliance, including nutrition and health claims, HFSS (High Fat, Salt, Sugar) assessments, functional foods, and food supplements.

We help you understand:

• What you can and cannot say under UK and EU food law
• Whether your formulation supports the claims you want to make
• How HFSS rules impact advertising and promotions
• The extra labelling requirements for supplements and higher-risk categories

Our approach is clear and practical. We draw the line between strong, compliant messaging and wording that could cause regulatory issues, and we always explain the reasoning behind our advice, not just send you a list of “no”s.

With our guidance, you can stay compliant, protect your brand, and communicate confidently in a highly regulated market.

Yes, all the time! Many of our clients are founders working from home kitchens, micro-producers scaling up, and early-stage food and drink brands aiming to get into retail, farm shops, or online platforms.

You don’t need to be a big supermarket supplier to work with us. We focus on where you are now, where you want to go, and what’s realistic for your budget and stage of growth.

Our goal is simple:

• Get you compliant with food regulations
• Make you confident in your labelling and claims
• Prepare you to grow without drowning in jargon or being treated like a multinational before you’re ready

Whether you need help with food labelling compliance, nutrition and health claims, HFSS advertising rules, or food supplement regulations, we provide clear, practical advice tailored to small businesses and artisan producers.