Standards for Product Labelling

Information

Labels on products and goods inform you about the characteristics of the product or item. For example, labels on food inform you about the nutritional value and weight of the food. Labels on clothing inform you about the size of the garment, what it is made of etc. Information on labels allows you to make an informed choice about what you are intending to buy. There are rules in Ireland and the EU regarding labels on products. These rules mainly relate to textiles and footwear although other areas are also covered. Specific rules exist for the labelling of food.

Manufacturers of products and goods must comply with the laws on labelling. While the law sets down some minimum requirements, there is nothing to prevent additional information being given on labels, so long as it is true. For example, instructions on how to cook/serve food items are not required. Most food labels carry this information even though they are not required.

There is no legal requirement for producers of non-food items (i.e., clothing, etc.) to show the country of origin on the label. This means the manufacturer is not obliged to state that an item was made in Ireland or abroad. Labels instructing you how to wash and maintain items may be desirable on an item but are not required by law. In other words, manufacturers are not obliged to put washing or any maintenance instructions on goods, but they can if they wish.

When you are shopping, check the item you are buying is correctly labelled. Be aware that sometimes, labels can be misleading. For example, just because the packaging is environmentally friendly does not mean that a product is better for the environment. In that case, you should look for a label stating a product is, for example, ‘made from recycled material’.

Items marked Fairtrade or items marked Organic meet standards set by associations or charities. These organisations certify that producers and products meet specific criteria. If you find items marked ‘Organic’ or ‘Fairtrade’ you feel are misleading, get in touch with these organisations for guidance.

The CE Label

The CE label on a product is a white rectangular label with the letters CE in black lettering. The CE label means that the product conforms with all health, safety and environmental protection standards of the European Union laid down in the relevant sectorial or vertical Directives. Not all products are covered by the CE marking.

CE labelling was introduced in the EU to standardise labelling regulations across the Member States. The mark is required on a wide range of products. Examples range from electrical equipment and refrigerators, gas water heaters to helmets, toys and heart pacemakers. View more information on the CE label here

Textile Labelling

Textile products for sale in the EU should be labelled by reference to their fibre content whenever they are put onto the market for production or commercial purposes. This law is set down in S.I. 245 of 1998 European Communities (Names and Labelling of Textile Products) Regulations, 1998. These Regulations apply to products entirely made of textile fibres such as clothes, curtains or bed linen. It also applies to products containing at least 80% textile components such as furniture, umbrella and sunshade coverings, floor coverings, mattresses and camping goods, the warm linings of footwear, gloves, mittens and mitts. There is no legal obligation to show care labels, however, if these are shown they must be accurate.

In many instances the labels on textiles must show the percentages of materials contained in the item. For example, clothing may be labelled ‘100% cotton’ or ‘50% wool, 50% acrylic’. Again, these labels tell you more about the product and can inform your decision about purchasing or not.

Footwear Labelling

There are also important rules regarding how various parts of footwear is labelled. These labels often appear as stickers on the base of the footwear or on the shoebox or inside the footwear. The information about what the footwear is made of must be conveyed by means of agreed pictures or symbols or text. S.I. No. 63/1996: European Communities (Labelling of Footwear) Regulations, 1996 sets down the rules about footwear labels.

The law sets out how the various parts of the footwear (i.e., the upper part, lining, outer-sole) item must be labelled. Information must be given about the material which makes up at least 80 % of the surface area of the upper, the lining and insole sock of the footwear article, and at least 80 % of the volume of the outer-sole.

If no one material accounts for at least 80 % of the footwear, the label must state the two principal materials the footwear is made of. (For example, 20% rubber, 60% leather, etc.).

As the aim of both the above laws is to provide information, all labels must be legible. The manufacturer or his authorised agent in the European Union is responsible for supplying the labels and for the accuracy of the information contained in them.