Market gardening
Veg, fruit, herbs and flowers
An overview of the fundamentals of growing and selling plants of all types on a small area of land.
Updated 7 May 2024
Packaging and labelling produce for sale
If you package your produce so that the packaging encloses the product, you will need to label the produce according to the Pre-packed for Direct Sale regulations. So for example a mixed salad bag needs a label which includes the name of the product, weight, name and address of your business and instructions for storage and use.
If there are allergens included in the packed food – for example celery or mustard – these must be clearly labelled.
You can only label your produce as ‘organic’ if you are certified as an organic producer. Your certifying body has guidance on how to display your organic status on your label.
When weighing produce for sale you must use a ‘trade approved’ set of scales. You can get further advice from your local Trading Standards office. Trading Standards also have the power to check your scales to make sure they are accurate and to check that your products are correctly labelled.