Labelling requirements for certain products moving from Great Britain to retail premises in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme

From​​Since​ 1 October 2023, businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) willcan be able to move prepacked retail goods as well as certain loose goodsgoods, including fruit and vegetablesvegetables, through the “green lane” to Northern Ireland, under the Windsor Framework. This is the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.Scheme (NIRMS). 

FromThere thisare date, there will be new, proportionate labelling requirements for moving goods through theNIRMS green lane, to make sure that goods are not moved onwards into the EU. These include different requirements for for: 

• labelling some individual products,products 
• labelling some boxes andwhere displayingthe signageproducts ininside retailthe premisesboxes indo Northernnot Ireland.

  The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme means you will no longer need to completebe multipleindividually exportlabelled 

• displaying healthsignage certificatesin orretail putpremises an EU address on individual products. Movements will use a single General Certificate instead, and can use an address in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland),Ireland thefor Channelproducts Islandsthat (Guernseydo andnot Jersey)need andto thebe Isleindividually of Man.
  labelled

You must continue to follow the existing UK food packaging and labelling regulations that apply in the UK and any health and identification marks needed.

Individual labels

Under theNIRMS, Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme some food products willrequire need individual product labels with the words ‘Not for EU’. These requirements will be broughtintroduced in through 3 phases from October 2023 to July 2025.

This includes products imported into Great Britain from the EuropeanEU Union and certain products from the Restrest of the World.world Youthat onlycan needmove tounder labelNIRMS.  

Only the outer packaging of a multipack. In the first phase, only products moving into Northern Ireland under theNIRMS Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme will need to meet the labelling requirements. From phase 2, the government intends to introduce labelling requirements in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) following consultation.

The requirements for box labels and retail premises signage will only ever be applied to goods moving to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.

In order to ensure unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the UK market, Northern Ireland businesses will not need to apply these product labels when placing their products on the market in Great Britain.

Phase 1

FromAll 1 October 2023 all meat products and some dairy products that are moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland willunder NIRMS need to be individually labelled. FindYou theshould fullread listthe descriptions of commodityphase codes1 includedproducts in phasethis 1.

Inguidance. theYou firstcan phase,also onlylook productsat movingthe intofull Northernlist Irelandof undercommodity thecodes Northernthat Irelandare Retailin Movementscope Schemefor willphase need1. toThis meetlist themay labellingchange requirements.or Frombe phaseupdated 2,in the governmentfuture. intendsAny todairy introduceproduct labellingthat requirementsis fornot Greatincluded Britainin (England,this Scotlandlist andmust Wales).be labelled in Phase 2.

Phase 2

From 1 October 2024,2024, as inwell additionas to the phase 1 products, all milk and dairy products moving to Northern Ireland under theNIRMS Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme will need to be individually labelled.

At thisFind stage,the allfull meatlist andof dairycommodity productscodes that are in Greatscope Britainfor (England,phase Scotland2. This list is subject to change and Wales)may willbe alsoupdated needin the future. You should refer to bethe individuallydescriptions labelled.in this guidance.

Phase 3

From 1 July 2025, composite products, fruit, vegetablesvegetables, and​​​​fish, fish​​and some other products moving to Northern Ireland under theNIRMS Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme will also need to be individually labelled.labelled.  

Not Theall same products inmoved Greatunder BritainNIRMS (England, Scotland and Wales) would also need to be individually labelled.

Not allThere productsis movedan underexception thelist Northernbelow Irelandof Retailproducts Movementthat Schemedo not need to be individually labelled.labelled Thereunder isNIRMS. an exemption list below. If products are individually labelled, you willdo not need to label the box,box noror providehave appropriate signage.

Phase 1: Products that need individual product labels from 1 October 2023

FromIndividual 1 October 2023, individual labels willare be required on all prepacked meat, prepacked meat products, meat packed on sales premisespremises, and some dairy products usingmoving thisbetween scheme.Great Britain and Northern Ireland under NIRMS. 

‘Prepacked’ means packed for the final consumerconsumer, or catering operator, so that the contents cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging.packaging. 

‘Processing’ refers to any action that substantially alters the original product. This includes heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion, or a combination of any of those processes. 

Compound products are products that contain more than one product of animal origin (POAO) and no plant products other than those for flavouring. Compound products are included in phase 1,1 if they contain one or more of the products in the phase 1 list. For example, a chickenpâté kievthat has a duck and a dairy product, or a cheeseburger.steak Findwith outa howbutter topellet identifywould be compound products.

Phase 1and doespart notof includephase composite1. products.This Foris example,because lasagne,they porkonly piescontain ormeat pepperoniand pizza.dairy Theseas comethe intomain forceingredients inand phasehave 3.

Prepackeda meat

Thissmall includesamount chilled,of frozen,plant driedproducts andfor ambientflavour. meat,Find whichout arehow to identify compound products.

Prepacked meat

‘Meat’ is defined as the edible parts of any animal intended for human consumption. ‘Prepacked meat’ includes chilled, frozen, dried, and ambient meat.

Meat includes but is not limited to:

• red meats -– lamb, beef, pork, steak, minced meat, veal, venisonvenison 
• game meats -– rabbit, gamehares, birds,rodents, wildgame birds for consumptionbirds 
• poultry - chicken, turkey, quail
• ‘exotic’ meats which are intended for human consumption - kangaroo, ostrichostrich 
• any domestic bovine species including bison and Bubalusbubalus speciesspecies 
• other domestic species of ‘red meats’ including swine, ovine, caprine and domestic solipedssolipeds 
• poultry including chickens, turkey, any farmed domestic birds, and any farmed wild birdsbirds 
• rabbits, hares and rodents
• any wild game, including wildswild birds or wild land mammals, that are hunted for consumption, whether they are truly wild or kept in wild-like conditions to be huntedhunted 
• any lagomorphs which live in the wild and are hunted for consumption.consumption 
• animal bloodblood 
• anymeat other wild game which does not fall into the above specific categories if it is intended for human consumptionpreparations 
• meatfresh preparationsmeat 
• any other products produced from parts of animals, including gelatine (sweets with gelatine do not need to be individually labelled as they are shelf-stable products)
• processed meat such as chicken nuggets – for example, chicken wings or breasts, any meat mince, steaks and joints, burgers, sliced meats, breaded chicken such as fillets, dippers or nuggets, duck or goose fat, pâté, and sausages including cocktail sausages

Prepacked meat products

These are meat products which may have beenundergone divided,an parted,action severed,that sliced,substantially boned,alters minced,the skinned,initial ground,product, cut,including cleaned,heating, trimmed,smoking, husked,curing, milled,maturing, anddrying, packedmarinating, soextraction, thatextrusion theor cuta surfacecombination shows the product no longer has the characteristics of meat.those processes. 

These products could be fresh, chilled, frozen, deep-frozen or thawed.

Meat packed on sales premises

This is meat which is prepared and packed before sale to a consumer, such as:

• meat and animal origin products which are butchered on site, packaged and sold on the shop floor, like cuts of steak or lamb, fresh poultry or cuts of game
• meat products which are processed and packaged on site, like fresh mince products thator are produced and packaged on siteburgers
• meat on supermarket deli or butcher counters where the product is packaged before sale

Some dairy products (including both prepacked and packed on sales premises)

This includes:includes: 

• pasteurised milk, buttermilkbuttermilk, or cream productsproducts 
• cottage cheese, quark cheese or raw (unprocessed)​​(unpasteurised) cheese, of any animal originorigin 
• crème fraiche and sour cream

Check the full list of commodity codes for products that need individual labels by 1 October 2023.

Phase 2: Products that need individual product labels from 1 October 2024

From 1 October 2024, in addition to the phase 1 products, all milk and dairy products moving to Northern Ireland under NIRMS will need to be ​​individually labelled at product level. 

Dairy products are processed products resulting from the Northernprocessing Irelandof Retailraw Movementmilk Schemeor willany needproducts toproduced befrom individuallyfurther labelled:processing of other dairy products. Dairy products include:

• all milk, buttermilk or cream
• whey
• butter
• butteroil
• caseins
• anhydrous milk fat (AMF)
• cheese
• yogurt
• kefir
• koumiss
• viili or fil
• smetana
• fil
• rjaženka
• rūgušpiens
• iceflavoured creamdairy products 
• UHTice milk

Fromcream 1made Octobersolely 2024,from alldairy 

UHT meatmilk and dairy products inmade Greatfrom BritainUHT (England,milk 

thermised Scotlandmilk and Wales)products willmade alsofrom needthermised to be individually labelled.

milk

Phase 2 does not include composite products that contain products from this list. For example, a chilled pizza with processed cheese onwould it. These come into force in phase 3.3. 

However, it is not a composite product if a plant product adds special characteristics to a POAO, like flavour, sweetness or acts as a thickening or decorative agent. Therefore, it needs to be individually product labelled. For example, if herbs are added to cheese or fruit is added to yoghurt, theyor a breaded cheese such as mozzarella sticks, the products are still dairy products as the plant product only adds flavour.flavour. 

Compound products which include dairy products combined with another POAO product such as dairy or fish, require labelling in phase 2. For example, fish with a separate sauce or prawns packaged with a dairy dip.

Phase 3: Products that need individual product labels from 1 July 2025

From 1 July 2025, additional food products that move through theNIRMS Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme must be individually labelled. This includes pet food, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, fishfish, eggs, honey and composite productsproducts, such as pizza.pizza. 

Composite products are products that contain both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin (POAO) for human consumption.

‘Processing’ meansFor anyexample, actionlasagne, thatpork substantiallypies, altersscotch theeggs, originaland product,pepperoni includingpizza heating,are smoking,composite curing,products. maturing,phases drying,1 marinating,and extraction,2 extrusiondo ornot ainclude combinationcomposite ofproducts. thoseThe processes.labelling requirements for composite products come into force in phase 3.

Exceptions: food products that do not need individual labels

You will not need to individually label the following products, (although box and retail premises labelling requirements apply):

• products sold loose or by weight on the sales premises at the consumer’s requestrequest  
• products processed and sold on the sales premises by a retailer, at the consumer’s request, for direct consumptionconsumption 
• products that are for sale in a factory canteen, institutional canteen, restaurant, or other similar food service operatorsoperator, thatand are intended for eating on the spot in Northern Ireland

Shelf-stable composite products:products include:

• Confectionery (including sweets) and white chocolate, not containing cocoa, and confectionery including(including sweets,sweets), chocolate and other food preparations, spreads, and preparations for making beverages, containing cocoacocoa 
• pasta, noodles and couscous, not mixed or filled with meat productsproducts 
• prepared foods obtained by the swelling or roasting of cereals or cereal products, prepared foods obtained from unroasted cereal flakes or from mixtures of unroasted cereal flakes and roasted cereal flakes or swelled cereal 
• bread, cakes, biscuits, waffles and wafers, rusks, toasted bread and similar toasted products and chips and crisps 
• olives stuffed with fishfish 
• extracts, essences and concentrates of coffee, tea or maté and preparations with a basis of any of these productsproducts 
• roasted chicory and other roasted coffee substitutes, and extracts, essences and concentrates of these productsproducts 
• soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumerconsumer, including miso containing a small amount of fish soup stock, and soy sauce containing a small amount of fish soup stock 
• food supplements that are packaged for the final consumer,consumer thatand contain small​​​small amounts(in total less than 20%) ​amounts of animal products or glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosanchitosan 
• liqueurs and cordials

Products thatwhich meet UK public health standards;standards and thosedo not requiringrequire certification or controls at agri-food points of entry under the Official Controls Regulation,Regulation. including:These products include:

• processed or canned fruit and vegetables (including ​​​​​​​​​fruit juices)​​     ​ 
• frozen peaspeas 
• dried herbs and spicesspices 
• flavouringsflavourings 
• jamplant-based milks such as oat, almond and soy milk 
• jam 
• peanut butterbutter 
• maple syrup and other syrups 
• olive oiloil 
• vinegarvinegar 
• tomato ketchup or other fruit and vegetable condiments 
• jars of pasta sauce 
• nuts and seedsseeds 
• popcorn, crackers and crispscrisps 
• tomato soupsoup 
• frozen chipschips 
• tea bags, dried tea leaves, and coffeecoffee 
• cerealscereals 
• flourflour 
• ricerice 
• natural sugarsugar 
• winewine 
• soft drinks 
• ​​​​​beer and cider​​​​​​ 
• ​​​spring water, mineral water and other bottled waters​​

Deregulated fruits:fruits are also exempt from individual labels: 

• pineapplespineapples 
• bananasbananas 
• coconutscoconuts 
• datesdates 
• duriansdurians 

The list of products that are exempt from individual labelling could change over time.

Box labels

Where products are not individually labelled with the words ‘Not for EU’, there are requirements to label the box or crate under the Windsor Framework.crate. 

This requirement will take effect from 1 October 2023.

As more products are individually labelled in phases 2 and 3, the requirement for box labelling of those products will cease.cease. 

It is recognised that businesses move products in different ways. ThereforeTherefore, this requirement should be implemented in the most pragmatic way possible, such as:as: 

• labelling of shrink wrap which is not removed until products are unloaded at stores where appropriate, for example because products are not stored in boxes or crates.crates
• Ifif products are not stored in boxes, crates or shrink wrap, you can label the cage.cage. 
• Youyou do not need to label the tray that protects products or prevents leakage if the box is labelled.labelled
• Duringduring transportation a cage can function as a box if it is a fully enclosed container until it arrives in Northern Ireland. This means that cages must be securely wrapped with tape with the words ‘Not for EU’ to function as ‘boxes’.‘boxes’

The Government will engage​continue furtherto ​engage with retailers on the practical methods that can be used to meet this requirement.

Labelling for retailer premises in Northern Ireland

Where products aredo not individuallyhave labelled,an individual product label, retail premises in Northern Ireland must alsomake ensuresure there is appropriate visibility to customers in store of the fact that these goods are not to be sold in the EU. This requirement is in effect from 1 October 2023. 

These requirements apply to all retail establishments in Northern Ireland.Ireland. 

WhereFood food products arethat do not individuallyhave labelledan individual product label and have moved under theNIRMS Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme there should behave shelfshelf-level levellabels labelling with the words ‘Not for EU’.’. 

Businesses may have a range of different ways of displaying and indicating the price of products and can take this into account when labelling a shelf. This can include:

• the individual price tag on the shelf
• a separate label next to the price tag on the shelf

The Governmentgovernment will continue to engage with industry on the practical ways in which these requirements can be met.met. 

Retail premises must also display posters in their stores, so that customers are aware that goods moved underto thisNorthern schemeIreland under NIRMS are intended for consumption in the United Kingdom;Kingdom ​and are​ not to be sold or consumed in the EU.. 

Posters may be in paper or digital format. PremisesRetail premises can create their own posters with the relevant information. The positioning and number of posters is at the discretion of individual stores. ​​​The government has provided poster templates which retailers may choose to use instead of creating their own​.​​​​ 

Catering operators do not need to label shelves for food products that are intended forto eatingbe eaten on the spot in Northern Ireland. This includes food products in a factory canteen, institutional canteen, catered eventevent, or restaurant. You do not need to display posters next to these food products.restaurant.​​ 

Retail​​Retail premises are responsible for ensuring that these arrangements are in place.place.​

30-day transition period

The UK government recognises that there will already be products on the market in Northern Ireland when each new phase comes into effect. Therefore, there will be a 3030-day day transition period at the start of each phase. This means that goods that are already on the market will not need to be relabelledre-labelled and will be able to be sold during the transition period.period. 

After each transition period ends, relevant goods will need to be labelled with the words ‘Not for EU‘ both on boxes and individual products in line with these requirements.requirements.​​  

Food​​Phase products that were moved into Northern Ireland before 1 October 2023 will not need to be individually labelled until 31 October 2023.

Phase 2 products that were moved into Northern Ireland before 1 October 2024 will not need toan beindividual individuallyproduct labelledlabel until 31 October 2024.2024. 

Phase 3 products that were moved into Northern Ireland before 1 July 2025 will not need toan beindividual individuallyproduct labelledlabel until 31 July 2025.

Technical requirements for the label

The labels can be written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed, impressed on or attached to the product, box or shelf. The labels can be adhesive labels (stickers) or sticky tape, ifbut they aremust not be easily removable.removable. 

The label must be easy to see, clear to read and unlikely to fall off or be easily removed. It should not be hidden or covered by any other writing or pictures.pictures. 

On boxes, cratescrates, and products, you can put the label anywhere. It can be incorporated into individual packaging ifas long as it does not cover any other required information.information. 

You only need to label the outer packaging of a multipack.

Products should be marked in line with existing UK labelling requirements.

Enforcing the requirements

Authorities will carry out proportionate risk-based and intelligence-led checks to ensure that these requirements are in place.

Get help

IfEmail ni.trade@defra.gov.uk if you have questions about the new labelling requirements, please email ni.trade@defra.gov.uk.requirements.

Funding

The UK Governmentgovernment willoffered provide financial support tofor help businesses withregistered theto newNIRMS labellingwho requirementshad in phase 1. Funding will cover a range of activities that could help your business meet the labelling requirements.

To benefit from this support, you should keep all evidence of your costs to prepare tofor meetphase the1 new labelling requirements onto 1move Octoberor 2023,receive asgoods youunder may get payment retrospectively. More guidance will follow shortly on the arrangements for benefiting from this support.NIRMS.

TheApplications fundingfor willthe notNIRMS coverTransitional theLabelling labellingFinancial changesAssistance forScheme phaseshave 2now and 3.closed.

England, Scotland and Wales: future labelling requirements for food products

FromThe October 2024, the UK GovernmentGovernment’s intendsintention to extend the requirement for individual product labels under the NorthernNIRMS Ireland Retail Movement Scheme to relevant products in England, Scotland and Wales.

That means from that date, you would also need to label meat and dairy products for sale in England, Scotland and Wales withis theunder wordsreview. ‘NotThe forevidence EU’.

Fromprovided Julyby 2025, the requirementsMarking forof England,Retail ScotlandGoods andconsultation Waleshas wouldbeen fallanalysed in line with the Phase 3 requirements, meaning that fruit and vegetables,is compositebeing productsconsidered andcarefully fish will also need to be individually labelled.

You will not need to add labels to boxes, crates or shelves in England, Scotland and Wales.

Thisan requirementupdate includes products imported into Great Britain from the European Union, including Ireland or certain products from the Rest of the World.

More guidance on these requirements will follow.