Product pages in online stores: what is missing
In a physical store, you can turn the packaging over in your hands. In an online order, you are limited to the product page created by the seller, and the difference between what is listed there and what is written on the package can be significant.
What the seller must show before purchase
Remote sales are regulated by Article 26.1 of the law "On Protection of Consumer Rights". Before concluding a contract, the buyer must be provided with information about the main consumer properties of the product, the seller's address, place of manufacture, the seller's full corporate name, price and terms of purchase, delivery, service life, shelf life and warranty period, payment procedure, and the validity period of the offer.
The key phrasing is "main consumer properties." It is noticeably narrower than the full list of information about a food product.
Full information according to Article 10 of the same law—and for food products, this includes ingredients, nutritional value, storage conditions, contraindications for specific diseases, and the date of manufacture—is provided in writing at the time of delivery. That is, on the packaging that is brought to you.
This is the whole point: the law does not oblige the seller to print the ingredients in the product card. It obliges them to provide this information along with the product—and the obligation is considered fulfilled if it is on the package.
What is usually missing from the card
| What is missing | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date of manufacture of the specific unit | The general shelf life is indicated, not the remaining time on your jar |
| Batch number | In case of a product recall, there is nothing to check your purchase against |
| Current ingredients | Formulas change, but the card is not always updated |
| Differences between variants | One card often covers several flavors or fat contents |
| Full list of additives | Ingredients are often listed in abbreviated form or "by main components" |
The third row is the most treacherous. Manufacturers periodically change the formula, and the card with the old ingredients remains. There is a separate analysis on how and why this is done: "clean label" and how manufacturers hide additives.
What to check in the card
A photograph of the packaging, not a render. A snapshot of the actual package with a readable back side is the best source of ingredients available before purchase. A drawn image tells you nothing.
Weight and price per kilogram. Online, you can and should compare two products by price per unit of weight: it is the only comparable figure. An analysis of this technique is price per kilogram. This also reveals shrinkflation: 900 ml instead of a liter is visible in the card, but not on the shelf.
Barcode, if provided. Thirteen digits allow you to find the product in databases and see the ingredients, compiled not by the seller. What can be learned from the code and what cannot is analyzed separately.
Full name. "Curd product" and "cottage cheese" are different goods according to regulations, and the difference is visible only in the name, which is often shortened to a marketing name in the card. A similar story is condensed milk and "milk-containing product".
Who the seller is. On a marketplace, the product is sold not by the platform, but by a specific legal entity, and it is the one responsible for the information. Details must be available before purchase.
What to check upon receipt
The moment of delivery is the point where you first see what the law considers full information. Three things to look at before the courier leaves:
- Date and shelf life. The main complaint about food delivery is the short remaining shelf life. There is a separate article on the difference between "best before" and "use by."
- Integrity of the packaging. A swollen pack, broken vacuum, or leaked frozen food are signs after which the ingredients no longer matter. Analysis — packaging and freshness.
- Match with the card. Is it the right flavor, the right fat content, the right weight.
A note on substitutions
In grocery delivery, it is common to substitute an item with an analog if the original is not in stock. For a person with an allergy, this is the most dangerous mechanism in the entire scheme: the substitution happens without your participation, and the analog has different ingredients.
Practical conclusion: if there is a food allergy in the family, substitutions should be disabled in the order settings where possible, and the ingredients of every delivered package should be checked, not just the new ones. What to look for in the ingredient list — mandatory allergens.
How to use this in practice
A reasonable sequence takes less than a minute and requires nothing but attention: check the full name, find a photo of the back side, compare the weight and price per kilogram, and finally check the ingredients on the delivered package. The first three steps filter out most unpleasant surprises, the fourth covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
- Is an online store required to list the product ingredients?
- Before purchase, the law requires information about the main consumer properties. Full information—ingredients, nutritional value, and production date—is provided in writing at the time of delivery, that is, on the product packaging.
- Why does the ingredient list on the product page not match the packaging?
- Manufacturers change recipes, and the product page is not always updated. In addition, a single product page often covers several flavors or fat content variations with different ingredients.
- What should I do if an item in my delivery was replaced with a substitute?
- Check the ingredients on the delivered packaging, not the product page. If there is a food allergy in the household, replacements should be disabled in the order settings: substitutions occur without the customer's involvement, and the substitute may have different ingredients.
Read next
- Price per kilogram: the only comparable figure on a price tag — There are two numbers on a price tag.
- Expiration dates: "best before" and "use by" are not the same — The date on packaging is perceived as a boundary between "safe" and "unsafe," although it means different things for different products.
- Shrinkflation: the package got smaller, but the price stayed the same — A liter of milk has turned into 900 milliliters, a dozen eggs into nine, and a chocolate bar has shrunk from 100 grams to 85.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.