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Trade Descriptions Act

The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 makes it an offence for a trader to apply, by any means, false or misleading statements, or to knowingly or recklessly make such statements about services.

The Act carries criminal penalties and is enforced by local authorities' Trading Standards Officers.

Labelling of, and the provision of information on, food and drink is the responsibility of the Foods Standards Agency. 

As well as complying with the Trade Descriptions Act, green claims should provide consumers with useful information about the environmental aspects of products. A Green Claims Code drawn up jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) sets out the standard of information that consumers can be expected to be given about such matters. The code can be accessed on DEFRA’s website.

To complement the Green Claims Code more detailed practical guidance has been issued for firms on how to make a good environmental claim.