UK Nutrition Label: What Must Be On It and How to Read It

Posted by

04/11/2026

On 02/11/2026

The nutrition table on the back of a UK food pack looks the same almost everywhere, because the rules say what has to be on it and how. Once you know the layout, you can compare products in seconds. Here is what must be on a UK nutrition label, what the numbers mean, and how it differs from the US version.

Back of pack and front of pack are different things

The nutrition table on the back of pre-packed food is mandatory. The coloured front-of-pack labels you see on many supermarket products are voluntary. Our guide to the UK’s traffic light labels covers the front-of-pack system in full.

What is in the nutrition table

The declaration gives energy in both kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal), then the amounts in grams of fat, of which saturates, carbohydrate, of which sugars, protein and salt. Fibre is a voluntary extra, so you will see it on some labels and not others.

Saturates and sugars are shown as part of fat and carbohydrate respectively, not as extra items to add on top.

Per 100g, and sometimes per portion

The required basis is per 100g (or per 100ml for drinks), which is what makes products comparable. Many labels also show a per portion column. The manufacturer chooses the portion size, so it may not match what you actually eat. Our guide on why label calories never match your real portion shows how to scale the per 100g figures to your own plate, and our Gram to Calorie Calculator does the sum for you.

What “% Reference Intake” means

The percentage shows how much of a typical day’s amount one portion provides. It is based on reference intakes for an average adult: energy 8,400 kJ / 2,000 kcal, fat 70g, saturates 20g, carbohydrate 260g, sugars 90g, protein 50g and salt 6g. The label should carry a note saying so.

These reference intakes are not personal targets. They are one standard figure used so every label works the same way. The FSA’s Check the label guidance quotes recommended daily calories of 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men, which are broader dietary guidelines. Your own needs depend on your age, size and activity, and you can estimate them with our TDEE Calculator.

Salt, not sodium

A UK label says salt. It is calculated by multiplying the sodium content by 2.5. If you see a US or imported label that lists sodium in milligrams, divide by 1,000 to get grams, then multiply by 2.5 to compare it with a UK salt figure.

How to compare two products quickly

Compare the per 100g columns, not the per pack figures. Pack sizes vary.
Look at the nutrients you care about first, such as saturates, sugars or salt.
Check the portion size before trusting a per portion column.
Use the front-of-pack colours as a shortcut if they are present, but remember they are optional.

For example, Parmesan comes out red on fat, saturates and salt, while Cod (raw) is green on all four traffic light nutrients. Same system, very different foods.

UK label versus US Nutrition Facts

The US label is built around a serving, shows calories in large type, lists sodium in milligrams, and gives % Daily Value. It also includes items the UK table does not carry, such as trans fat and cholesterol. The technical guidance for the UK table says trans fat and cholesterol cannot be declared in it. Our Nutrition Label Generator can show either format side by side, which is a quick way to see how the same recipe looks on each.

Making your own label

If you need a label for a recipe or a small food business, the Nutrition Label Generator builds one from your ingredients, and our step-by-step guide to making a nutrition label explains the rules and the sums behind it. For the ingredients list that goes beside the table, our Ingredient List & Allergen Generator orders it by weight and emphasises the allergens.

*This article is general information, not legal advice. Food labelling law and guidance change over time, so check an official source directly if you need this for your own business’s compliance.