AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Prepacked Nigerian food sold in Great Britain must show the name of the food, ingredients with the 14 allergens emphasised, net quantity, a best before or use by date, and the name and a physical UK address of the food business, plus nutrition information on most products. Since 1 January 2024 a Nigerian producer's address alone is not enough; the label must carry a UK address, usually the importer's.
Many packaged foods from Nigeria, such as garri, poundo flour, chin chin, plantain chips, seasoning cubes and noodles, arrive with labels designed for NAFDAC and the Nigerian market. Those labels often meet much of the UK standard, but rarely all of it. A retailer who stocks them without checking takes the risk, because UK labelling law applies to the food at the point it is sold here.
The mandatory list
GOV.UK guidance on giving food information to consumers (updated 20 September 2022) sets out what must appear on prepacked food:
| Item | What it means for a Nigerian product |
|---|---|
| Name of the food | A name that tells the shopper what it is. "Poundo" alone may need a descriptive name such as "yam flour" beside it. |
| Ingredients list | Every ingredient in descending weight order, with allergens emphasised. |
| QUID | The percentage of an ingredient named in the product name or shown in pictures, where needed. |
| Net quantity | Weight or volume, visible together with the name. |
| Date mark | Best before, or use by where there is a safety risk after that date; selling past use by is a criminal offence. |
| Name and address | A physical UK address since 1 January 2024; use the UK importer if the producer is outside the UK. |
| Country of origin | Required where its absence could mislead. |
| Nutrition declaration | Compulsory on most prepacked foods since December 2016. |
| Storage or use conditions | Where needed to keep or use the food properly. |
The same guidance sets a minimum x-height of 1.2 mm for mandatory text, or 0.9 mm where the largest surface of the pack is under 80 cm². Small sachets of seasoning are the products most often caught by this.
The 14 allergens
UK law names 14 allergens that must be declared: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre, lupin and molluscs. The Food Standards Agency allergen guidance (updated 17 July 2026) says allergens must be emphasised each time they appear in the ingredients list; most labels use bold type.
Nigerian foods to look at closely:
- Crayfish seasoning and many stock cubes: crustaceans, and sometimes fish, soy or celery.
- Chin chin and puff mixes: gluten, eggs and milk.
- Suya spice and kuli kuli: peanuts.
- Egusi soup bases: check for crustaceans and fish if crayfish or stockfish is added.
- Dried fruit snacks and some drinks: sulphites.
Where Nigerian labels most often fall short
Looking at the mandatory list, a few gaps come up again and again with imported Nigerian packs, and each is easy to check before stock reaches the shelf:
- Address. The pack shows only the Lagos or Onitsha factory address. Since 1 January 2024 that is not enough in Great Britain; a UK address is needed.
- Allergen emphasis. Ingredients are listed but allergens are not picked out, or the allergen sits inside a generic word such as "seasoning" or "flavouring" without naming the source.
- Nutrition table. Missing, or given per serving only. Ask the producer for laboratory or calculated values so the table can be built properly.
- Date format. Production date shown but no best before date, or a date in a format shoppers cannot read.
- Net quantity. Printed on the back while the name sits on the front, so the two are not seen together.
- Small print. Text below the 1.2 mm x-height on packs larger than 80 cm².
None of these mean the food is unsafe. They mean the label does not yet meet the rule, and a trading standards officer can require you to fix it. Checking a sample of each product line before your first order costs far less than relabelling a container already in your warehouse.
Relabelling imported stock
If the original pack lacks something, the usual fix is a UK sticker label applied before sale, carrying the full mandatory list and the importer's UK address. Apply it to every unit, do not cover the original date or lot code, and make sure the ingredients on your sticker match the product exactly. Get a recipe or specification sheet from the Nigerian producer; guessing ingredients is how undeclared allergens reach shoppers.
Steps for a new product line
- Get the full recipe and specification from the producer, including additives and processing aids.
- Check the product is not restricted at the border; see importing Nigerian foodstuff.
- Draft the UK label against the mandatory list and the 14 allergens.
- Check the font size and that net quantity and name sit together.
- Keep the specification and label proof on file for your council's inspection; registration is covered in registering a food import business.
For specific products, read palm oil labelling and checks and plantain chip labelling.
Where Pryme fits
Retailers buying from Nigerian brands pay in naira or dollars and sell in pounds. A Pryme Business Account holds NGN, USD and GBP, and invoices can be raised through invoicing. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Can I sell Nigerian food with the Nigerian label only?
Only if it already shows everything UK law requires, including a physical UK address and the 14 allergens emphasised. Most products need a UK sticker label.
Does the label need to be in English?
Shoppers must be able to understand the mandatory information; in practice UK labels are in English. Check with your local trading standards if a pack uses another language.
Is a NAFDAC number enough for the UK?
No. A NAFDAC registration is a Nigerian requirement and does not replace UK labelling rules.
What size must label text be?
A minimum x-height of 1.2 mm, or 0.9 mm if the largest surface of the pack is under 80 cm².
Sources
- GOV.UK: Food labelling, giving food information to consumers (updated 20 Sep 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- FSA on GOV.UK: Allergen guidance for food businesses (updated 17 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Food business registration (updated 25 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.