Selling food: the rules by market
The rules food must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, labelling is set by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, ingredients and additives by their own Regulations, and contaminant limits by Regulation (EU) 2023/915. The business the food is sold under answers for the label, and food business operators carry the primary responsibility for safety. Member states enforce.Selling food in the EU
- United KingdomIn Great Britain, food rules are mostly assimilated EU law, kept after Brexit and now changed in the UK. Northern Ireland still follows EU food law. Labels sold in Great Britain need a UK address for the food business or its UK importer, and businesses register with their local authority at least 28 days before trading.Selling food in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, food follows the Foodstuffs Act (LMG) and the Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LGV), with labelling set by the FDHA Ordinance on Food Information (LIV). The business placing food on the market answers for it through self-supervision. Cantonal chemists enforce inside the country; the Confederation checks import.Selling food in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, the FDA regulates food under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It does not pre-approve labels: the business is responsible for getting them right before sale. Facilities that make or hold food register with the FDA, covered facilities keep a written food safety plan, and importers verify their foreign suppliers.Selling food in the US
- CanadaIn Canada, food is governed by the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations, set by Health Canada, and by the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces both. Mandatory label information is in English and French, and importers need a Safe Food for Canadians licence.Selling food in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, food falls under the General Health Law and COFEPRIS sanitary control. Prepackaged food is labelled to NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, in Spanish, with black octagonal warning seals where a product exceeds the nutrient profiles. PROFECO and COFEPRIS check labels; COFEPRIS controls imports and can sample them.Selling food in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, ANVISA sets the food rules. A packaged food is registered, notified or communicated before sale, depending on its category under RDC 843/2024. Labels are in Portuguese, with a nutrition table under RDC 429/2020 and, above set limits, the front-of-pack "ALTO EM" mark. State and municipal health authorities enforce.Selling food in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, food must comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, developed by FSANZ and enforced by the states and territories. Labels follow Chapter 1 of the Code; most retail food also carries a country of origin label under the Australian Consumer Law. Imported food is checked at the border under the Imported Food Control Act 1992.Selling food in Australia
- New ZealandIn New Zealand, food must meet the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which the Ministry for Primary Industries enforces under the Food Act 2014. Labels must be in English, declare allergens, and name a supplier in New Zealand or Australia. Net quantity falls to Trading Standards, and imported food comes in through a registered food importer.Selling food in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, food safety standards are set under the Food Sanitation Act and labelling under the Food Labelling Act, both now run by the Consumer Affairs Agency. Imported food is notified to an MHLW quarantine station each time it arrives. Labels are in Japanese, and recalls are notified to the prefecture or the Agency.Selling food in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, food is regulated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) under the Food Sanitation Act, with labelling and advertising set by the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods. Under the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, the foreign facility is registered and each consignment declared before customs clearance.Selling food in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) administers the Sale of Food Act and the Food Regulations. Importers register or hold a licence with SFA and take a permit for each consignment. Prepacked food carries a mandatory English label, uses only permitted additives, stays within contaminant limits, and novel food needs pre-market approval.Selling food in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, food falls under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the regulations FSSAI makes under it. Food businesses hold an FSSAI licence or registration, labels follow the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020, and net quantity, price and consumer care details follow the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.Selling food in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, food is governed by Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety. Food must be registered in the federal ZAD system before it is traded, labelling standards such as UAE.S 9:2019 are mandatory, and food imported for the first time needs the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's approval. The emirates enforce.Selling food in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, food is regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) under the Food Law and its Implementing Regulation. Establishments and products are registered with SFDA, labels follow SFDA.FD/GSO 9 in Arabic, and imported food is released only with SFDA's consent. Food business operators answer for the food they handle.Selling food in Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Alcohol
- Infant formula and baby food
- Pet food
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
- Consumer goods
Selling food somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.