The impact of the European Accessibility Act on food & drink brands
The European Accessibility Act 2025 will transform how brands operate online, requiring them to ensure their digital content is accessible to all consumers, including those with disabilities.
Different industries and verticals will be impacted in different ways. For food and drink brands, it means adapting their online presence to meet specific accessibility standards, ensuring that everyone can interact with their site effectively.
Here, we delve into some of the key areas food and drink brands need to focus on to comply with the European Accessibility Act 2025.
What is the European Accessibility Act 2025?
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive designed to improve accessibility for people with disabilities across the EU. Its main goals are to promote social inclusion, ensure equal access to information, and create a more inclusive market.
Set to be fully implemented by 2025, the legislation imposes specific accessibility requirements on a broad range of digital products and services, including ecommerce providers.
All EU member states and international organisations that conduct business within the EU will be impacted by the Act, and penalties will be imposed on those that do not comply.
You can find out more about the Act here.
Impact of the EAA on food & drink brands
The European Accessibility Act mandates significant changes aimed at increasing digital accessibility. Here are some areas that food and drink brands need to consider specifically to comply.
Accessible product information
For food and drink brands, providing accessible product details is crucial given the health implications for consumers with allergies or dietary restrictions. This means ensuring that product descriptions, nutritional information, allergen warnings, and preparation instructions are not only present but are also accessible via screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Additionally, information should be available in multiple formats upon request, such as large print or audio descriptions.
Inclusive visual content
Since purchasing decisions in the food and drink sector are often influenced by visual appeal, it is important to include alt text that accurately and descriptively conveys the qualities of the product images.
For videos, closed captions and audio descriptions can help convey cooking instructions or product benefits to those with hearing or visual impairments.
User-friendly interactive features
Interactive tools such as ingredient customisation options, recipe suggestions, or dietary filters must be fully accessible. This includes ensuring that these features can be navigated via keyboard and are operable without mouse input, which is essential for users with motor disabilities or visual impairments.
Simplified ordering and checkout process
The process from selection to payment needs to be straightforward and clear, minimising the risk of errors during the order placement by consumers with cognitive disabilities.
Forms should be clearly labelled, error messages should be easy to understand, and corrective suggestions should be accessible to ensure that all users, especially those with disabilities, can independently complete their purchases.
Accessible customer service
Since the food and drink industry often deals with enquiries about ingredients and allergens, it's important that customer service options are accessible. Providing support through multiple channels, including text-based and voice-based platforms, ensures that all customers can receive assistance in a way that suits their needs.
What happens if you don’t comply?
Failing to comply with the European Accessibility Act can lead to severe consequences for ecommerce businesses, including substantial fines, potential legal challenges, and reputational damage.
To avoid them, brands need to be proactive, implementing accessibility features across their digital platforms to ensure they comply with the regulations by 2025. That means addressing issues now.
The path to compliance
Complying with the requirements of the European Accessibility Act will ensure your website is inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities. It also presents an opportune moment to evaluate your user experience (UX) in a way that benefits all users.
We can help you assess your website for EAA compliance and refine your UX to enhance accessibility and user satisfaction across your entire customer base.
Get in touch to discuss your path to compliance.