Guidance

BRC Guidance on Food

This page contains up-to-date guidance produced by the British Retail Consortium on issues relating to food policy

19 August 20254 Minute Read

Andrea Martinez-Inchausti Deputy Director Food PolicyAndrea.MInchausti@brc.org.uk

Devina SankhlaPolicy Advisor - Fooddevina.sankhla@brc.org.uk

Aishwari MahavirGraduate Policy & Corporate Affairs Executive, BRCaishwari.mahavir@brc.org.uk

This page includes guidance on topics of Advertising, Promotions and Placement of HFSS Foods, Allergen Labelling, Free-From Claims, COOL Principles, Country of Origin and more. We aim to keep this page as up to date as possible, if you spot anything which may have been overlooked, or no longer be relevant, please reach out to one of the team. Read the guidance below:

Advertising HFSS Foods

This guidance document will help businesses understand which products are in and out of scope of the provisions of The Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024, which restrict the advertising of HFSS products on TV and online.

Read Guidance on the Advertising of HFSS Products here

Promotions and Placement of HFSS Foods

This guidance should help businesses understand which products are in and out of scope of the 13 food categories, covered by the English and Welsh legislation, restricting volume promotions and the placement of HFSS foods in certain areas of the store.

Read the Guidance on Promotions and Placement of HFSS Foods here

Allergen Labelling

This guidance will help businesses understand how to comply with the allergen labelling provisions within Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers. It also includes information on decisions taken by retailers on what they believe to be best practice, with the aim of improving consumer understanding.

Read the Guidance on Allergen Labelling here

Free-From Claims

This guidance was produced by British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) to help manufacturers, retailers and caterers on the appropriate use of “free-from” claims in relation to food allergens.

Read the Guidance on Free-From Claims here

COOL Principles

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) worked together with the Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to write these principles, at the request of Ministers from the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). BRC members all comply with these principles, as a minimum requirement. The principles all go above and beyond in their original declarations.

Read the Guidance on COOL Principles here

Country of Origin

The following guidance relates to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/775 of 28 May 2018, on the provision of food information to consumers, as regards the rules for indicating the country of origin or place of provenance of the primary ingredient of a food.

Read the Guidance on Country of Origin here