Food Labelling for Homemade Cakes UK
A Labelling Guide for Home Bakers to Understand the Rules for Pre-Packaged and Non-Pre-Packaged Products
If you’re baking cakes from home and selling them to the public, whether at local markets, online, or through word of mouth, you have legal responsibilities when it comes to food labelling for homemade cakes in the UK.
Understanding food labelling in the UK, especially allergen rules, is essential for compliance with UK food law and for protecting your customers.
This guide will walk you through the essential labelling requirements for both pre-packaged and non-pre-packaged cakes in the UK, with a clear focus on allergen responsibilities.
What Counts as Pre-Packaged vs Non-Pre-Packaged Under Food Labelling Laws in the UK?
Before getting into the requirements for food labelling in the UK, it’s important to understand which category your homemade cakes fall into.
Pre-packed products (PPDS – prepacked for direct sale)
These are wrapped, sealed or packaged before the customer orders or selects them.
For example:
- Cakes boxed and ready for sale at a market stall
- Products packaged in advance in a cake shed
These products require a full ingredients label, including clear allergen labelling.
Non-pre-packed products
These are sold loose or packaged after the customer makes their selection.
For example:
- Cakes displayed at a market where customers choose individual items
These products do not require a full ingredients label, but allergen information must be available at the point of sale, either verbally or through signage.
Distance selling
Distance selling includes orders taken via:
- A website
- Social media
- Telephone or messages
For distance selling, UK food labelling law requires allergen information to be provided in two places:
- At the point of order
- On delivery of the product
Food labelling guide for homemade cakes in the UK
If your product is pre-packed, and therefore subject to full food labelling for homemade cakes in the UK, your label must include the following:
Product Name
For example:
- “Victoria Sponge Cake”
- “Chocolate Brownie”
Ingredients List
- List all ingredients in descending order by weight
- Use the heading: Ingredients
Allergen Information
- Allergens must be clearly highlighted within the ingredients list
- This can be done using bold text, CAPITALS or underlining
Clear allergen labelling is a key part of food labelling in the UK.
QUID (Quantitative Ingredient Declaration)
If the product name highlights a particular ingredient, you must show the percentage of that ingredient used in the recipe.
Date and Storage
- Include a Best Before or Use-By date, as appropriate
- Add storage instructions such as:
- “Keep refrigerated”
- “Store in a cool, dry place”
Net Weight (if required)
- Only required if selling by weight or price per weight
- Example: “200g”
- Not required if sold by number, such as “Pack of 5 cookies”
Business Details
- Include your business name
- Include your business address
Special Ingredient Declarations
If your homemade cake contains any of the following, UK food labelling rules require clear declaration:
- Sweeteners such as aspartame
- Liquorice
- Caffeine
- Polyols
For certain colourings, you must also include the statement:
“May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
These colourings are:
- Sunset Yellow FCF (E110)
- Quinoline Yellow (E104)
- Carmoisine (E122)
- Allura Red (E129)
- Tartrazine (E102)
- Ponceau 4R (E124)
Precautionary Allergen Labelling (“May contain”)
Precautionary allergen statements such as “may contain” should only be used where there is a genuine risk of cross-contamination that cannot be fully controlled, even with thorough cleaning and separation.
Over-using precautionary allergen labelling is discouraged under UK food labelling guidance.
How to Present Your Food Label
Under food labelling guidelines for homemade cakes in the UK, labels must be:
- Clear and easily visible without opening the packaging
- Indelible and not easily removed
- Written in a font size no smaller than:
- 1.2 mm x-height, or
- 0.9 mm x-height for labels smaller than 80 cm²
As a rough guide, this is similar to:
- Times New Roman size 8
- Size 6 for smaller labels
Font styles vary, so always check legibility.
Allergen Advice Guide for Non-Pre-Packed Cakes
If your cake does not require a full ingredients label, allergen information must still be provided clearly.
In-person sales
For example at a market stall:
- Allergen advice must be available for customers to review
- Staff must know the allergen information or know where to find it
You could:
- Display allergen signs next to each product
- Use signage requesting customers ask for allergen information
Distance selling for food labelling laws in the UK
For cakes sold online or via social media, allergen information must be available:
- At the point of order
- On delivery of the product
This could be provided through:
- An allergen sticker on the packaging
- An allergen information sheet included with the order
Final Thoughts on Food Labelling for Homemade Cakes in the UK
Food labelling for homemade cakes can feel like another thing to juggle alongside baking, orders, family life and everything else that comes with running a home baking business. But getting it right matters. Clear food labelling in the UK protects your customers, keeps you compliant with the law and helps you run your business with confidence rather than second-guessing yourself.
Once you understand the difference between pre-packed, non-pre-packed and distance selling, and you know exactly what allergen information is required in each situation, the rules stop feeling overwhelming. They become part of your everyday systems, just like your recipes, pricing and ordering process.
If you want support putting these foundations in place, Business in a Cake Box is being created to guide you step by step through the practical side of running a home baking business. From food labelling and allergen responsibilities to pricing, planning and structure, it’s designed to help you build a business that works around your life, not against it.
If you’d like to be the first to know when Business in a Cake Box opens, and receive early access details, join the waiting list below. This is about building your baking business the right way, from the start.
If you found this article useful, please have a read of this blog, which talks about how starting a baking business in 2026 may feel different from before.
The information provided in this article is aimed at home based baking businesses in the UK, and this intended as guidance – not an alternative to your own allergen training which is required by UK food law.
References:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/business-guidance/packaging-and-labelling
