Selling or Advertising Food Online
1 March 2024
Selling or advertising food online has become a norm nowadays. However, before anyone decides to sell or advertise food online they have to make sure to research any relevant food safety laws.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has developed a Selling or Advertising Food Online leaflet with essential information for all those who are selling or advertising food online (including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages). Although published in 2017, this is a relevant guide that lists the mandatory information you must provide to the consumer when selling food online.
Selling or Advertising Food Online Guide
The guide makes it clear that if a food business sells or advertises food online, they are responsible for the food information provided to their customer and must comply with relevant food law. The guide goes on to highlight key areas which food businesses selling or advertising online should address, including:
- Registering your food business.
- Provision of food information to consumers.
- Displaying mandatory food information.
- Making claims about food.
- Temperature control.
- Traceability.
- Product recall.
- Notifying food supplements to the FSAI.
- Consumer protection law.
Although this leaflet focuses on the rules for selling food online, the rules also apply to food sold or advertised by any other means of distance communication.
Meeting the Requirements
Any food supplied through distance selling must meet the same information requirements as food sold in a physical premise e.g. a shop. The Regulation defines “means of distance communication” as “any means which, without the simultaneous physical presence of the supplier and the consumer, may be used for the conclusion of a contract between those parties”.
Common methods of selling food by means of distance communication include:
- Websites
- Social media pages
- Online market places
- Mail order
- Telephone
- Text message
- Catalogues
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Leaflets
If you sell food online, you must comply with the relevant food law. The main purpose of food law is to ensure that food available for consumers to buy is safe. It also requires food businesses to provide consumers with the necessary information about food, so that they can make an informed choice at the time of purchase. Food law prohibits the use of misleading information.
To find about requirements for selling or advertising food online please refer to this Selling or Advertising Food Online leaflet published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Online Food Safety Training
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
eLearn Online Health and Safety Training