EU Food Compliance for Small Food Businesses: What You Actually Need to Know

Starting a food business in the Netherlands or EU is exciting — and then the compliance paperwork hits. HACCP plans, registration with NVWA, allergen management, and food labeling requirements.

This guide focuses on labeling compliance specifically — the most commonly misunderstood area for food startups and home food businesses in the EU.

First Question: Does Your Business Need Food Labels?

You need EU-compliant food labels if: you sell pre-packaged food (sealed before the customer sees it), including online sales, market stalls with pre-packed products, delivery services, wholesale to shops.

You don't need a full nutrition label (but must have allergen info) if: you prepare and serve food fresh to the customer (restaurant, café, event catering).

Note: There is no small business exemption from EU food labeling law. Home bakers and cottage food operations selling pre-packaged products in the EU are fully subject to EU 1169/2011.

The Cottage Food Reality in the EU vs. US

In the US, many states have "cottage food laws" that let home food producers sell with simplified or no labeling requirements. The EU does not have an equivalent. This catches many small food entrepreneurs by surprise.

Step-by-Step: Food Labeling for a New Food Business

Register with NVWA — Before you sell food commercially in the Netherlands, register your food business at nvwa.nl. Free, done online.
Decide: pre-packaged or not? — Assess which products are pre-packaged. Those need full labels.
Build your recipe database — Document complete ingredient list with quantities for each product.
Calculate nutrition values — Per-100g values for energy (kJ and kcal), fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars, fibre, protein, and salt.
Check all 14 allergens — Go through every ingredient, including compound ingredients.
Design and print labels — Minimum font x-height: 0.9mm for packaging under 80cm².
Document your process — Keep records of your nutrition calculations and recipe versions.

Time and Cost Reality Check

Manual approach (Excel + Canva): Initial setup per product: 2-4 hours. Recipe update: 30-60 minutes. Unscalable beyond ~5 products.

Using NutriLabel.io: Initial label per product: ~5 minutes. Recipe update: ~2 minutes. Scales to 100+ products.

Cost comparison:

Nutritionist to calculate labels: €100-300 per product
Generic label software: €50-200/month
NutriLabel.io Pro: €14.99/month (unlimited products)
NutriLabel.io Free: €0/month (10 labels/month)

Resources for Small Food Businesses in the Netherlands

NVWA business help: 0900 0388 (Mon-Fri 9-17)
NVWA labeling guidance: nvwa.nl/onderwerpen/etikettering-van-voedsel
NEVO nutritional database: nevo-online.rivm.nl
NutriLabel.io: nutrilabel.io (free for 10 labels/month)

The One Thing to Do Today

If you're selling pre-packaged food and don't have compliant labels, stop selling until you do. An undeclared allergen can cause serious harm. NVWA enforcement for allergen violations is serious.

Getting your labels right takes a few hours with the right tools. Start at NutriLabel.io — free, no credit card, 10 labels/month →