# EU nutrition declarations (Regulation 1169/2011)

> The EU's Food Information to Consumers regulation standardizes the nutrition declaration across member states. Here is the format your EU-bound packs need.

Canonical: https://fcos.cloud/nutrition-labels/europe
Last updated: 2026-06-16
Market: Europe (EU)
Regulation: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
Label format in FCOS: Europe

- Required panel structure
- Ingredient and allergen context
- Review before export
- PDF handoff for printers

## What this label needs before it goes on pack.

This guide is written for product, operations, QA, and regulatory teams who need the practical shape of a Europe (EU) nutrition label.

### One regulation across the EU

**Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011** on Food Information to Consumers (FIC) makes a nutrition declaration mandatory on most prepacked foods across the EU. The mandatory declaration, **per 100 g or 100 ml**, covers:

- **Energy** (in both **kJ and kcal**)
- **Fat** and **saturates**
- **Carbohydrate** and **sugars**
- **Protein**
- **Salt** (declared as salt, not sodium)

Per-portion values may be added voluntarily. Vitamins and minerals can be declared when present in significant amounts.

### Details that catch teams out

- **Allergens are emphasised inside the ingredient list** (e.g. bold), not in a separate box
- **Minimum font size**: mandatory particulars need an x-height of at least **1.2 mm** on most packs
- Language requirements follow the member state of sale — multi-country packs usually go multilingual

### How FCOS helps

Choose **Europe** as a market in FCOS to generate an EU-style nutrition declaration from the same product data you use for your other markets, with team review and PDF export built in.

---

*This overview is general guidance, not legal advice. Final compliance always depends on your product and jurisdiction — confirm requirements with your regulatory counsel.*

## From product data to a reviewed Europe (EU) label.

1. **Create the product record**: Enter ingredients, nutrition values, serving details, and the markets the SKU will sell in.
2. **Generate the market view**: FCOS uses the same product data to shape the label around the selected market format.
3. **Review, approve, export**: Keep reviewers in the loop, then export the approved label PDF for your team or partner.

## The difference between a label file and a label system.

- **The market changes, but the product record stays the same.** Add Europe (EU) as a market target without copying values into another spreadsheet or rebuilding the SKU from scratch.
- **Review happens before the PDF leaves.** Editors prepare the label, reviewers approve the version, and the exported file reflects the version that passed review.
- **Retailer and co-packer handoff gets cleaner.** Share a shelf-ready PDF generated from structured product data instead of screenshots, emails, or disconnected drafts.

## Today vs. with FCOS

| Work | Today | With FCOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Market data | Kept in docs, emails, or spreadsheets | Europe (EU) sits on the product record |
| Review state | Hard to know which file is approved | Approval state stays with the label version |
| Export | Screenshots and manually assembled PDFs | PDF export comes from structured data |
| Multi-market work | Copy data into each format | Reuse one product record across markets |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a nutrition declaration mandatory in the EU?

Yes. Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 makes the nutrition declaration mandatory on most prepacked foods, expressed per 100 g or 100 ml.

### Does the EU label use salt or sodium?

Salt. The EU declaration lists salt (sodium × 2.5), unlike the US label which declares sodium.

### How are allergens shown on EU labels?

Allergens are emphasised within the ingredient list itself — typically in bold — rather than in a separate allergen box.

## Related

- [Nutrition Information Panels for Australia (FSANZ)](https://fcos.cloud/nutrition-labels/australia) (Australia & New Zealand)
- [FSSAI nutrition labels for India](https://fcos.cloud/nutrition-labels/india-fssai) (India (FSSAI))
- [GCC nutrition labels (GSO standards)](https://fcos.cloud/nutrition-labels/gcc) (Gulf & GCC)
- [Nutrition labels by market](https://fcos.cloud/nutrition-labels)
- [Free label builder](https://fcos.cloud/free-experience)