Final phase of ‘Not for EU’ food labelling comes into force

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The final phase of post-Brexit food labelling on products being shipped from Britain to Northern Ireland has been introduced.

The “Not for EU” labels, an element of the Windsor Framework, have been used since 2023. However, their use has now been extended to cover more products.

The UK government believes the labels are likely to become unnecessary when the UK and EU finalise a new agrifood deal.

The labelling is required under the rules of the framework to ensure goods are not moved onwards from Northern Ireland into the rest of the EU.

The Windsor Framework, which replaced the Northern Ireland Protocol, means the region adheres to certain EU laws regarding goods.

Meat products shipped from Britain to Northern Ireland have required the labels since October 2023 and dairy products since October 2024.

The final phase, which began on July 1st, includes eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables, some composite products and some other products.

The extension of the labelling was recently branded “bureaucratic madness” by the chief executive of Marks and Spencer, Stuart Machin, who said a new agrifood deal “can’t come soon enough”.

It is understood that the British government does not expect any products to become unavailable in Northern Ireland due to the new labelling regulations.

However, it is also to shortly finalise new contingency powers that would mean if it sees any adverse impact from the rules, it could enforce “Not for EU” labelling across the whole of the UK and remove any incentive for suppliers not to send products to Northern Ireland.