The Labelling Rules That Change by Country (and How to Stay Prepared)

Your label is approved in your home market. You send the same artwork to three new markets. Two of them come back with small tweaks. The third comes back with a list of 6 changes you didn''t see coming. Allergens need to be in bold. The nutrition panel needs a second column. Country of origin needs to be 3mm minimum. Local importer details need to be printed on the pack. None of that was in your original plan.

This is the labelling reality exporters run into once they move past one market. Rules change by country, sometimes in ways that sound minor but cost real money to fix after a print run. This guide walks through the labelling rules that change by country, the 6 rule differences that surprise most exporters, and how to approach multi-market labelling so you''re not hitting a new surprise every launch.

Across 8 years shipping snacks to 35 countries at Popsmalaya, I''ve learned that labelling is one of the most under-discussed parts of export. Most exporters assume what works at home will work abroad with a small translation tweak. It usually doesn''t. The good news: the pattern of surprises is consistent across markets once you know what to look for.

Who this guide is for

1. Manufacturer exporters designing or updating label artwork for new markets.
2. Brand owners using a contract manufacturer or co-packer who design their own labels.
3. Aspiring exporters researching labelling requirements before they commit to a production run.

What you''ll learn

• The labelling elements that every market expects (the universal baseline)
• The 6 country-specific rule differences that most often surprise exporters
• How to find out your target market''s current requirements
• A practical approach to labelling for multiple markets

The universal baseline: what every market expects

Before getting to the surprises, here is what almost every market wants on your label. If you have these covered cleanly, you''ve handled roughly 80 percent of the work. The remaining 20 percent is the country-specific differences in the next section.

1. Product name in the local language (or languages) the market requires.
2. Ingredient list in descending order of weight.
3. Net weight or volume in the units the market uses (metric for most markets, imperial in the US, some markets require both).
4. Country of origin clearly visible on the pack.
5. Manufacturer details (name and address).
6. Importer or distributor details for the destination market. This is often required on the pack, not just on shipping documents.
7. Best before or expiry date in the format the market uses.
8. Batch or lot number for traceability.
9. Allergen declarations (format varies, see below).
10. Storage instructions where relevant (ambient, chilled, frozen).

Barcode note. Barcode registered with GS1 or your country''s national barcode authority. Most markets accept EAN-13 (the 13-digit standard used globally). The US and Canada use UPC-A (12-digit). Barcodes must be scannable and printed with enough contrast and clear margin around them for retail point-of-sale scanners to read. Some retailers require specific barcode types or positioning. Confirm with your distributor before final artwork.

If you have these ten elements in the right format, you''ve built the foundation. The six surprises below are the rules that extend or modify these in specific ways.

The 6 labelling surprises that catch most exporters

These are the rule differences most exporters don''t notice until a shipment is flagged. In no particular order, because which one surprises you depends on which market you''re entering.

1. EU requires allergens to be visually highlighted, and food additives to use E-numbers

Two EU rules to know, both in the ingredient list.

Allergens must be visually highlighted. In the EU, the 14 regulated allergens (cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide, lupin, molluscs) must be emphasised in the ingredient list through bold type, italics, underlining, a different colour, or another typographic distinction. Listing them is not enough. They have to stand out visually so a consumer scanning the ingredients can see them immediately.

Food additives must be declared by E-number or full chemical name. The EU uses the E-numbering system for food additives (for example, E330 for citric acid, E150d for caramel colour, E621 for monosodium glutamate). Additives must be listed either by their E-number or by their full chemical name. Vague descriptors like "colouring," "preservative," or "acid regulator" on their own don''t meet EU requirements. Exporters who use looser ingredient lists from other markets often need to rework the declaration for EU shipments.

Exporters shipping US-format or Asian-format labels to the EU often get held because the allergens aren''t highlighted or the additives aren''t named specifically enough.

2. Australia and New Zealand require a specific nutrition panel format (FSANZ)

FSANZ stands for Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The nutrition panel they require has a specific two-column format showing "Quantity per Serving" and "Quantity per 100g (or 100mL)" side by side, with specific column headers and mandatory energy values in both kilojoules (kJ) and kilocalories (kcal).

You can''t adapt a US Nutrition Facts panel or an EU back-of-pack nutrition table and expect it to pass. FSANZ format is specific enough that it needs to be designed for the market.

3. UAE requires local importer details on the pack, and Arabic translation

For UAE shipments, local importer details, Arabic labelling, and product-registration requirements should be confirmed with the importer and relevant UAE authority before printing. Ingredients, directions for use, warnings, and other mandatory information may need Arabic translation depending on product type and channel. Do not rely on shipping documents alone as a substitute for compliant packaging.

A missing importer name or address on the pack is one of the most common reasons UAE shipments get held at destination customs. It is a small detail at the design stage. It is expensive to fix after a print run.

4. Japan''s allergen list is different from the EU''s 14

Japan has its own mandatory allergen list (shrimp, crab, wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk, peanut, and walnut). Walnut was added to the mandatory list in the 2023 revision of Japan''s Food Labelling Standards and has been fully enforced from April 2025. Japan also has a recommended allergen list (including abalone, squid, salmon roe, orange, kiwifruit, beef, soybean, mackerel, salmon, chicken, pork, matsutake mushroom, peach, yam, apple, gelatin, sesame, cashew, almond, and macadamia).

If you use the EU 14-allergen list and ship to Japan, you''ve probably missed at least one declaration Japan requires that the EU doesn''t, or listed allergens that aren''t formatted the way Japan expects. The lists overlap but don''t match. Japan''s regulator (the Consumer Affairs Agency) updates the lists periodically. Confirm the current list with your importer before designing artwork for Japan.

5. India requires a green dot or brown dot marking (FSSAI)

Every packaged food product sold in India must display either a green dot (vegetarian) or a brown/red dot (non-vegetarian) prominently on the label. The dot must be a specific size relative to the pack, in a specific box format, placed clearly visible to the consumer.

This is a marking most exporters outside India don''t think about at all. It is specific to India and mandatory. Missing it is a common reason shipments to India get held.

6. Singapore requires Nutri-Grade for beverages

Singapore''s Nutri-Grade scheme, implemented by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), applies to beverages. Every pre-packed beverage sold in Singapore must display a Nutri-Grade label (A, B, C, or D) based on sugar and saturated fat content. Grades C and D also carry advertising restrictions.

Beverage exporters entering Singapore often don''t know about this until a shipment is flagged. Beverages in the A and B grades still need to display the grade. Only A and B can be freely advertised. C and D face marketing restrictions.

Other rules worth knowing about

Beyond the 6 main surprises, a few more that come up:

• USA FDA "Contains:" statement. The US requires a specific "Contains:" line at the end of the ingredient list, naming the major allergens present. Different format from the EU approach.
• Korea''s origin-of-raw-materials rule. For certain food categories in Korea, the origin of primary raw materials must be disclosed on the pack.
• Indonesia BPOM Halal logo placement rules. Specific rules on where and how the Halal logo is displayed.
• EU recycling and sustainability markings. Increasing requirements for recyclability symbols on packaging, with country-specific variation inside the EU.
• Date terminology differences. Markets also vary on which term to use. "Best before" (BB) is used for products where quality may decline but safety is maintained past the date. "Use by" is used for products where safety declines after the date (short-shelf-life or perishable items). Some markets require the specific term "Expiry date" or "EXP" on the pack. Saudi Arabia commonly requires EXP, for example. The wrong terminology can be a compliance issue on its own. Confirm what your destination market requires.
• Expiry date format differences. DD/MM/YYYY across most of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. MM/DD/YYYY in the US. YYYY/MM/DD in some Asian markets. Using the wrong format can itself be a compliance issue.

No list like this is ever complete. Rules change. New requirements appear. The point is not to memorise every rule. The point is to know that the rules differ enough that every new market needs a fresh labelling review.

How to find out your target market''s current requirements

Four ways, in order of usefulness:

1. Ask your distributor

This is by far the most reliable source. Distributors deal with their local authorities routinely. They know what the current rules are, which ones are strictly enforced, and which are easier to work around. Their customs broker often holds the authoritative view for that market. Always ask before you design. For more on this, see the paperwork behind every export shipment.

2. Check the destination country''s food safety authority

Most authorities publish current requirements online. Examples include FSANZ, FDA, EU Commission, SFDA, UAE federal / emirate-level food systems, FSSAI, SFA, and MOH equivalents. Current requirement documents are available, though sometimes only in the local language.

3. Look at comparable products on shelf in that market

If you can get your hands on a product in the same category, already listed in your target market, study its label. It meets the current requirements. You can see what elements are present, how they''re formatted, and what space they take.

4. Use a local compliance consultant where needed, usually through your distributor

For markets with strict labelling (EU, Japan, Korea, or specific product categories that need higher scrutiny), a local compliance consultant can save you a rejection. Most distributors either have an in-house compliance team or a relationship with a consultant they trust. The consultant cost is normally borne by the importer (the distributor), because they need the product compliant to sell it in their market. If your distributor asks you to share or cover the cost, the typical range is USD 500 to USD 2,500 for initial label review and advice. Always confirm who pays before assuming. This is a conversation to have at the onboarding stage, not after the first shipment.

The practical approach to multi-market labelling

Three principles that save real money.

Design with variation in mind from day one

If you plan to ship to more than one market, accept from the start that you''ll have multiple label versions. Design your base artwork so it can accommodate translation space, allergen emphasis, country-specific markings, and different nutrition panel formats without a complete rework each time.

Never print without written buyer approval on the exact version

Your distributor is the most reliable source for current market requirements. Send them the final artwork for their market. Get their written "approved to print" before committing to a production run. This saves you from printing a batch that turns out to be wrong, and shares the responsibility if something later gets flagged at customs.

Version control is essential past 2 markets

Keep each market''s current approved version clearly named (for example, UAE v3.2, UK v2.4, AU v1.8). Store versions where your packaging team can access them. Require written confirmation of which version applies to each shipment before printing or packing.

One clear next step

If you want to track labelling versions across every market, with written approval trails and pre-shipment checks that catch version mismatches before a container leaves, see XportStack pricing. Packaging artwork library, version control per market, and pre-shipment checklist in one place. Two plans for F&B exporters. Your data stays yours.

If you''re newer and want to see where you are before committing to a new market''s labelling design, the XportStack readiness check is a 2-minute quiz. Free.

If you want to see the true margin of your product in a specific market (including labelling and packaging costs amortised over expected shipments), the XportStack margin calculator runs the math in your browser. Free. Your numbers aren''t stored.

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Yasmin Karim is the founder of XportStack, the export operating system for F&B exporters globally. Before XportStack, she built Popsmalaya into a snack brand shipping to 35 countries across 6 continents over 8 years. XportStack exists because every operational problem she experienced at Popsmalaya is one that thousands of other exporters, manufacturer or brand-owner, are dealing with right now, alone, in spreadsheets.

Related reading:

• The Packaging Mistake That Can Delay Customs Clearance
• Which Certification Should You Get First as a New Exporter?
• Every Cost Between Your Factory and Their Shelf (A Landed Cost Walkthrough)
• How to Manage Export Distributor Partnerships Without Losing Margin