Wiki: List of food labeling regulations

The packaging and labeling of food is subject to regulation in most regions/jurisdictions, to prevent false advertising and to promote food safety, and increasingly to provide greater information to consumers relating to quality or lifestyle concerns.

The regulation of food labels has evolved alongside the industrialization of food production and the growth of global mass food markets. In many countries, early food laws focused on preventing Adulterant and fraud, often by mandating clear product names and ingredient listings. Over time, governments developed more detailed regulatory frameworks to manage food quality and public health through standardized labeling.

Xaq Frohlich (2023). 9780520970816, University of California Press. ISBN 9780520970816

Scholars have noted that as food systems scaled up and grew more impersonal, regulators across regions—from Europe and North America to East Asia—began using labels to simulate the trust once derived from local, interpersonal food markets. Labels became instruments of “informational governance,” conveying safety, nutritional value, and even moral or environmental claims.

Xaq Frohlich (2023). 9780520970816, University of California Press. . ISBN 9780520970816

This trend reflects a global shift toward transparency in food commerce, often relying on scientific authority and consumer rights to shape regulatory standards.

Regulations by type

Multi-faceted

Codex Alimentarius (international voluntary standard)

Ingredients and basic nutrition

Calorie count laws (restaurants)
Ingredients list
Nutrition facts label
Name
Date:

Nutritional rating systems

Nutri-Score
Traffic light rating system
Health Star Rating System

Veracity

False advertising

Food-handling materials

Food safe symbol

Specific foods

Olive oil regulation and adulteration
Food grading labels
Instructions for Use

Vegan

"Certified Vegan" by Vegan Awareness Foundation trademark for vegan companies and organizations
"PETA-Approved Vegan" by PETA for vegan products (clothing and accessory companies), United States, available worldwide
"Sunflower symbol" by The Vegan Society, United Kingdom trademark for vegan food, available worldwide
"V-Label" by the European Vegetarian Union, Switzerland trademark for vegan items (specified by product), available worldwide
"Biocyclic Vegan" by BNS Biocyclic Network Services Ltd., Cyprus, for vegan organic production (e.g. vegetable production without manure)

Vegetarian

"The green dot symbol" (Vegetarian mark), requirement for food, available worldwide
"V-Label" by the European Vegetarian Union, Switzerland trademark for vegan and vegetarian items (specified by product), available worldwide
"Vegetarian Society Approved" by the Vegetarian Society, United Kingdom, available worldwide

Farming practices

Free range
Grass fed beef
Organic certification
Sustainable agriculture

UTZ Certified

Religious certifications

Halal (Islamic dietary laws)
Kashrut (Kosher foods in Jewish law)

Controversies

Ag-gag

Named geographic origin

Appellation
Geographical indication
Country of origin
Protected Geographical Status (European Union)
Appellation d'origine contrôlée (France)
Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Italy)

Genetic and commercial origin

Labeling of genetically modified food
Produce traceability
Standards of identity for food

Preparation at site of consumption

Shake well

Pricing

Pay what you want (PWYW)
Pay what you can (PWYC)
Dine and dash
Maximum retail price (MRP)

Safety information

Alcohol abuse
Danger zone (food safety)
Five-second rule
Food allergy
Food intolerance
Food safety
Food sampling
Food spoilage
International Food Safety Network
ISO 22000
Shelf life dates ("Use by" and "Best before")
Warning label
Allergy target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> FALCPA

By region

FAO GM Foods Platform
Food Administration

Asia

India

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — the statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, to regulate and supervise food safety in India.

Thailand

Phuket: "Yellow flag" for vegetarian food during ‘ngan kin jeh’ vegetarian festival

North America

Canada

Food and Drugs Act
Monsanto Canada Inc v Schmeiser

Mexico

NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010

United States

Acceptable Market Name
Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718
American Agricultural Law Association
Dietary exposure assessments in the United States
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994
Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (US) — enacted in 1966, requiring product identity, manufacturer, and net quantity labeling.
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 — mandated standardized nutrition labeling and regulated health claims on food packages.
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Federal Meat Inspection Act
Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007
Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997
Food libel laws
Food Quality Protection Act
Generally recognized as safe
Global Food Security Act of 2009
Kevin's Law
Mandatory country-of-origin labeling of food sold in the United States
Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act
Public Law 114-214, regulating GMO food labeling
Pure Food and Drug Act — passed in 1906, it prohibited misbranded or adulterated food and laid the foundation for modern U.S. food law.
Standards of identity for food
Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations
United States v. Correll
United States v. Ninety-Five Barrels Alleged Apple Cider Vinegar

Europe

European Union

Regulation (EC) No. 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of Organic product
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 — on the provision of food information to consumers.
Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs: defines "labelling" as "any words, particulars, trade marks, brand, pictorial matter or symbol relating to a foodstuff and placed on any packaging, document, notice, label, ring or collar accompanying or referring to such foodstuff".