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WINE AND FOOD LABELLING FOR UK SALES

New labelling requirements to show a UK importer due to be implemented on 1 October 2022 have been postponed.

Wine that you import and market in GB must be labelled with the address of a UK based importer or bottler, or both. You can continue to use an EU importer or bottler’s details until 31 December 2023.

The full DEFRA guidance is extracted below:

Extension to the period (currently due to end 30 September 2022) during which some EU labelling terms are still permitted on the GB market to 31 December 2023

In line with protecting consumers from unnecessary costs, the UK Government is delaying food labelling rule changes that were due to apply from 1 October 2022, until 1 January 2024. In general, delaying these labelling requirements will mean that some labelling terms and EU addresses (in relation to the importer or Food Business Operator address requirement) will continue to be permitted on the GB market for an additional 15 months.

Following formal agreement from both Welsh and Scottish Government, these changes will apply across the whole of GB.

How an individual food is currently labelled will determine whether it is affected. The advice below is for businesses placing goods on the GB market:

a. Food Business Operator Addresses

The existing rules stipulate that you must include a business name and address on the packaging or food label of prepacked food products. This must be either:

the name of the business under whose name the food is marketed
the address of the business that has imported the food

For Food Business Operator addresses (FBO):

You can continue to use either an EU, GB or NI address for the FBO on pre-packaged food or caseins placed on the market in GB until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, prepacked food or caseins sold in GB – including caseins sold in business-to-business transactions – must include a UK address for the FBO. If the FBO is not in the UK, include the address of your importer, based in the UK.

b. Quick frozen foods

For Quick-frozen foodstuffs placed on the GB market:

You can continue to use an EU address until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, the packaging, container, or label of quick-frozen foodstuffs sold in GB must include the name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packer or of a seller established in the UK who places that foodstuff on the market.

c. Extraction solvents

For extraction solvents placed on the GB market:

You can continue to use an EU address until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, the packaging, container, or label of extraction solvents sold in GB must include the name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packer or of a seller established in the UK.

d. Caseins and Caseinates

For caseins and caseinates placed on the GB market:

You can continue to use an EU address until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, the packaging, container, or label of caseins and caseinates sold in GB must include the name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packer or of a seller established in the UK.

e. Beef and veal labelling

For beef and veal placed on the GB market:

You can (where appropriate) continue to refer to ‘EU’ or ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you must use ’UK’ or ‘non-UK’ when the label does not list each country of origin.

f. Minced meat labelling (goat, sheep, swine and poultry)

For minced meat placed on the GB market:

You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you must use ‘UK’ or ‘non-UK’ when the label does not list each country of origin.

g. Honey blends labelling

For honey blends placed on the market in England and Wales:

You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you must use ‘blend of honeys from more than one country’ (or similar wording) if you decide not to list each country of origin.

For honey blends sold in Scotland you can make reference to trading blocs including EU and non-EU and can continue to do so after 31st December 2023.

h. Olive oil labelling

For olive oil blends placed on the GB market:

You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you cannot use the term ‘non-EU’ for olive oil blends sold in GB.

If your extra virgin or virgin olive oil is a blend of oils from different countries, the label must contain one of the following:

a list of each country of origin
the statement ‘blend of olive oils from more than one country’ or similar wording
the name of the trading bloc to which a regional trade agreement applies, for example ‘blend of olive oils of European Union origin’.

i. Fruit and vegetable labelling

For mixes of fruit and vegetables sold in GB:

You can continue to refer to ‘EU’ and ‘non-EU’ when the label does not list each country of origin until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you must use ‘non-UK’ or ‘UK and non-UK’ when the label does not list each country of origin.

If you’re part of the Approved Trader Scheme, you must remove the EU emblem from your UK food labels and use the replacement GB label from 1 January 2021.

j. Egg labelling

For eggs sold in GB:

In GB you can continue to mark eggs that do not meet domestic egg trade regulations as ‘non-EC standard’ or ‘non-UK standard’ until 31 December 2023.
From 1 January 2024, you should mark these eggs as ‘non-UK standard’.

k. Wine labelling

Wine that you import and market in GB must be labelled with the address of a UK based importer or bottler, or both.

You can continue to use an EU importer or bottler’s details until 31 December 2023.

l. Identification marks

To further help UK Food businesses, the use of “UK/EC” identification marks (required on products of animal origin) will continue until 31 December 2023. This is for Products Of Animal Origin (POAO) placed on the market in Great Britain. It is not applicable to POAO produced in the UK for placing on the EU, Northern Ireland or non-EU markets.

This would allow FBOs to continue to deplete existing stocks of labels, wrapping and packaging carrying the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark owned by the food business operator at the end of the Transition Period. The provision started from 1 January 2021 and is only available for food businesses up to 31 December 2023.

This delay is not intended to enable businesses to replenish stocks of labels, wrapping and packaging carrying the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark after the end of the Transition Period. Businesses have been encouraged to adopt the new markings as soon as possible following the end of the Transition Period.

FSA and FSS guidance relating to identification marks will be updated to reflect this extension