Food labelling and marketing: the mandatory information required by law, allergen labelling, traffic-light and reference-intake nutrition labelling, date marks, and how marketing influences food choice.

A 6-mark free-response question.

Mandatory information includes: the name of the food; a list of ingredients in descending order of weight, with allergens emphasised (for example in bold); the weight or quantity; a use-by or best-before date; storage and cooking instructions where needed; the name and address of the manufacturer; the country of origin where required; and a nutrition declaration (energy and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt).

This helps the consumer choose safely and wisely: allergen emphasis protects people with allergies; the date and storage instructions keep food safe; the ingredients and nutrition information help people compare products and manage their diet; and the origin and weight allow informed comparison and value for money.

Top-band answers (5 to 6 marks) list several mandatory items and link them to how they help the consumer.

A 4-mark structured question.

Traffic-light labelling colours the front of pack for fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt: red means high, amber means medium and green means low, per portion. It lets shoppers see at a glance whether a food is high or low in these.

This helps healthier choices because a shopper can quickly compare products and choose those with more green and amber and fewer reds, helping cut fat, sugar and salt without reading the full nutrition table.

Markers reward the red/amber/green meaning (high/medium/low) for fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, and that it lets shoppers compare and choose at a glance.