Labelling Cans
What makes up a can label and can it help sell the product?

Teacher Briefing

Within this unit children look more closely at the labels used on cans and think about how they inform the consumer. Labels provide essential information and there is a legal requirement to include the name of the product, the weight of the product, the best before date, the ingredients, the directions for use, the drained weight where applicable and the name and address of the manufacturer or the seller.

Food labels will often show details of the nutritional content, energy values, protein, carbohydrate, salt, fat and fibre. This is not a legal requirement but is in response to consumer demand.

By looking at a range of labels, children evaluate how effective can labels are at giving the consumer essential information and encouraging them to want to buy. The children then compare a selection of labels for the same product to assess how effective each label is at providing information.

This unit culminates in the design and make activity, which provides an opportunity for children to develop skills in layout, lettering and general design. In addition, children will learn how to use language effectively to describe and persuade in the context of food labelling.