Welsh and bilingual packaging: the 2011 Measure, food label language and artwork control
Mandatory food information goes in English on GB labels; Welsh is a welcome addition, and the Welsh Language Standards bind only those with a compliance notice.
In Short
- GB food labels: English required.
- Welsh too is allowed (Art. 15(3)).
- Standards need a compliance notice.
Brands selling in Wales often ask whether Welsh is required on pack. For most food businesses the answer turns on two texts: the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 and the GB version of retained Regulation 1169/2011, Article 15. Opened on legislation.gov.uk (revised text): the Measure sections 1 and 25, Part 4 and Schedules 5 and 8; Article 15 of 1169/2011 as it applies in Great Britain; and regulation 1 and the contents of the Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014. Not opened: the Welsh Language Standards regulations, any compliance notice, the Welsh Language Act 1993, the Northern Ireland text of 1169/2011, retailer codes and non-food labelling rules. It is orientation, not legal advice. Sources checked 5 Oct 2026.
Official status is not a packaging rule
Section 1(1) of the Measure says the Welsh language has official status in Wales. Section 1(2) explains that this status is given legal effect by enactments, including provisions about duties on bodies to use Welsh and the treatment of Welsh no less favourably than English.
More on official status is not a packaging rule
Section 1 itself does not set any rule for product labels. Official status matters, but a label obligation has to come from a specific duty that applies to your business, not from the status alone.
Who the standards bind
Section 25 says a person must comply with a standard only if six conditions are all met. They include that the person falls within Schedule 5 or Schedule 8, that the standard is specifiable for that person, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner has given a compliance notice requiring compliance.
Do Welsh Language Standards apply to us? (simplified s.25)
- It names the standards that apply to you.
More on who the standards bind
Schedule 5 lists public bodies such as county councils and Welsh Ministers. Schedule 8 lists categories of other persons, such as certain gas, electricity and water providers. If you have not received a compliance notice, the standards duty in section 25 does not apply to you.
Food labels in Great Britain: English required
Article 15(1) of Regulation 1169/2011, as it applies in Great Britain, says mandatory food information must appear in English. Article 15(3) says that does not preclude the particulars from being indicated in several languages.
Language rule by product (simplified)
| Product | English | Welsh |
|---|---|---|
| Prepacked food, Great Britain | Mandatory particulars | Allowed in addition |
| Prepacked food, Northern Ireland | Not covered here | Not covered here |
| Non-food products | Not reviewed | Not reviewed |
- Prepacked food, Great Britain
- English
- Mandatory particulars
- Welsh
- Allowed in addition
- Prepacked food, Northern Ireland
- English
- Not covered here
- Welsh
- Not covered here
- Non-food products
- English
- Not reviewed
- Welsh
- Not reviewed
More on food labels in Great Britain: English required
So a GB food label must carry the mandatory particulars in English, and Welsh may be added. The Northern Ireland position follows a different text that this guide did not open. The Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 apply to Wales and provide enforcement and offences for the retained food information rules there.
When retailers or tenders ask for Welsh
Some customers ask for bilingual packs in contracts, tenders or supplier manuals. Those are contract terms, not statutory duties, and this guide did not read any of them.
More on when retailers or tenders ask for Welsh
Treat a customer request like any other customer specification: record which products it covers, which text must be bilingual, any layout rules, and the customer's approval steps. Keep the requirement on the customer's product specification so artwork, labels and orders stay aligned when products change.
Controlling Bilingual Artwork
Bilingual artwork adds a translation step to every change. Keep one approved artwork version that contains both languages, so English and Welsh cannot drift apart.
Bilingual Artwork Approval for SKU WB-204
More on controlling Bilingual Artwork
Have a competent translator write the Welsh, and a second competent reader check it against the approved English before release. Record who translated and who approved each version. When an allergen, ingredient or claim changes, both texts change in the same revision. Keep the mandatory particulars legible in English first; adding Welsh must not push them below the legibility rules that apply.
Questions
Does the law require Welsh on our food packaging?
The GB text of Article 15 requires mandatory food information in English and allows other languages too. The Measure's standards apply only where all six section 25 conditions, including a compliance notice, are met.
Can we put Welsh on the label as well as English?
Yes. Article 15(3) of the GB text says the English requirement does not preclude particulars in several languages. Keep both versions consistent and approved together.
Which organisations must follow Welsh Language Standards?
Persons meeting all six conditions in section 25, including a compliance notice from the Commissioner. Schedules 5 and 8 list categories such as public bodies and certain utility providers.
Does V5 translate our labels?
No. V5 keeps artwork versions, approvals and labels linked to each product. Your team or translator writes and approves the Welsh text.
Practical orientation, not legal advice. Rules differ by jurisdiction; your quality and compliance team decides what applies.
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