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

​​Since​Businesses 1 October 2023, businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) can move prepackedsome retail goods asto wellNorthern asIreland certain loose goods, including fruit and vegetables, through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS). ). This includes prepacked retail goods as well as some loose goods, including fruit and vegetables. 

There are proportionate labelling requirements for moving goods through NIRMS to make sure that goods are not moved onwards into the EU. These include different requirements for: 

• labelling some individual products 
• labelling boxes where the products inside the boxes do not need to be individually labelled 
• displaying signage in retail premises in Northern Ireland for products that do not need to be individually labelled

YouThe mustbusiness continueor totrader followmoving the goods is responsible for:

• ensuring that the labelling requirements are met
• following the existing food packaging and labelling regulations that apply in the UK and any health and identification marks needed.
  needed

Individual labels

Under NIRMS, some food products require individual product labels with the words ‘Not for EU’. These requirements willare bebeing introduced in 3 phases from October 2023 to July 2025. This includes products imported into Great Britain from the EU and products from the rest of the world that can move under NIRMS.  

Only products moving into Northern Ireland under NIRMS will need to meet the labelling requirements.

PhasePhases 1 and 2

All meat products and some dairy products thatmust arebe movingindividually fromlabelled.

Check Greatthe Britaindescriptions toof Northernproducts Irelandincluded underin NIRMSphases need1 toand be2 individuallyon labelled.this Youpage.

Phase should3

From read1 theJuly descriptions2025, ofindividual phaselabels 1are productsalso inneeded thisfor:

• some guidance.composite Youproducts
• fruit canand alsovegetables
• ​​​​fish
• some lookother atproducts

Check the listdescriptions of commodityproducts codesincluded thatin arephase in3 scopeon forthis phasepage.

If 1.products Thisare listindividually maylabelled, changeyou ordo benot updatedneed into label the future.box.

Not Anyall dairyproducts productneed thatto isbe notindividually includedlabelled. inYou thiscan also check the list mustof beexempt labelledproducts inon Phasethis 2.page.

Phase 2

From1: 1Products Octoberthat 2024, asneed wellindividual asproduct thelabels phasefrom 1 products,October 2023

Individual labels are required on:

• all milkprepacked meat and dairymeat products moving(meat topacked Northernfor Irelandthe underfinal NIRMSconsumer)
• meat needpacked toon besales individuallypremises
• some labelled.dairy Findproducts

Prepacked meat and meat products

‘Meat’ is defined as the listedible parts of commodityany codesanimal thatintended for human consumption.

‘Meat products’ are inmeat scopethat forhas phasebeen 2.substantially altered by processing. This listincludes isby subjectheating, tosmoking, changecuring, andmaturing, maydrying, bemarinating, updatedextraction, inextrusion theor future.a Youcombination shouldof referthose processes.

Meat includes but is not limited to theall descriptionsfresh inand thisfrozen guidance.meats, such as:

Phase

• pork, 3

Fromincluding 1bacon, Julysausages, 2025,joints

beef, compositeincluding products,mince, fruit,joints, vegetables,steaks, ​​​​fish,diced ​​andbraising somemeat, otherburgers

chicken, productsincluding movingwhole, tobreasts, Northernfillets, Irelanddiced undermeat, NIRMSthighs, willshredded alsochicken, needsausages

lamb, toincluding besteaks, individuallyleg, labelled.  

Notshoulder, alldiced productsbraising movedmeat

duck undermeat, NIRMSvenison, needother togame bemeats

other individuallysimilar labelled.meat Thereand ismeat anpreparations

exotic exceptionmeats

products listwhich belowconsist of animal fats, including gelatine or animal blood

Meat products thatinclude:

• chicken donuggets, notchicken needdippers, toother bebreaded individuallyand labelledbattered underchicken NIRMS.products, Ifchicken productswings areand individuallybreasts labelled,in yousauce do(except notwhere needthese are determined to labelbe thea boxcomposite orproduct)
• burgers, haveminced appropriatemeats, signage.

  Phasesliced 1:red Productsmeats, thatsausages needincluding individualcocktail productsausages

• pâtés labelsand fromsimilar 1meat-based Octoberspreads
• duck 2023and goose fats

IndividualThese labelsproducts arecould requiredbe onfresh, allchilled, prepackedfrozen, meat,deep-frozen prepackedor meatthawed.

Meat products,packed on sales premises

This is meat that is prepared and packed onbefore salessale premises,to a consumer, such as:

• meat and someanimal dairyorigin products movingthat betweenare Greatbutchered Britainon site, packaged and Northernsold Irelandon underthe NIRMS. 

  ‘Prepacked’shop meansfloor, packedsuch foras thecuts finalof consumer,steak soor lamb, fresh poultry or cuts of game

• meat products that theare contentsprocessed cannotand bepackaged alteredon withoutsite, openingsuch as fresh mince products or changingburgers
• meat on supermarket deli or butcher counters where the packaging. 

  ‘Processing’product refersis topackaged anybefore actionsale

Some thatdairy substantiallyproducts alters(including theboth originalprepacked product.and packed on sales premises)

This includesincludes: 

• pasteurised heating,milk, smoking,buttermilk, curing,or maturing,cream drying,products 
• cottage marinating,cheese, extraction,quark extrusion,cheese or araw combination​​(unpasteurised) ofcheese
• crème anyfraiche ofand thosesour processes. 
  cream

Compound products

Compound products are products that contain:

• more than one product of animal origin (POAO)
• no plant products other than those for flavouring

Compound products are included in phase 1 if they contain products in the phase 1 list. For example, a pâté that has a duck and a dairy product, or a steak with a butter pelletpellet. wouldBoth be compound products and part of phase 1. This is because they only contain meat and dairy as the main ingredients and have a small amount of plant products for flavour. They are therefore compound products and part of phase 1. Find out how to identify compound products.

PrepackedCommodity meatcodes for products included in phase 1

‘Meat’You iscan definedalso asuse the ediblelists parts of anycommodity animalcodes intendedto forconfirm humanwhich consumption.products ‘Prepackedneed meat’labels includesin chilled,phase frozen,1.

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

Since 1 October 2024, all milk and ambientdairy meat.products also need to be ​​individually labelled. 

Dairy products

MeatDairy includesproducts are products resulting from the processing of raw milk or other dairy products. Dairy products include, but isare not limitedrestricted to:

• redall meatsmilk, –including lamb,pasteurised, beef,thermised pork,and steak,ultra-heat-treated minced(UHT) meat,milk veal,and venison flavoured milks
• gamebuttermilk meatsor –cream rabbit,produced hares,from rodents,animal gameproducts, birds including flavoured products
• ‘exotic’cheeses meatsproduced whichfrom areanimal intendedmilk, forincluding humancottage consumptioncheese, -hard kangaroo,cheeses ostrich and blue cheeses
• anyyoghurt, domesticincluding bovineflavoured speciesand includingnatural bisonyoghurts
• butter
• whey and bubaluswhey species products
• otherbutteroil domesticand speciesother ofdairy-based ‘redoils
• fermented meats’dairy products, including swine,kefir, ovine,koumiss, caprineviili, andfil, domesticsmetana, solipeds rjaženka and rūgušpiens
• poultrycaseins includingand chickens,anhydrous turkey,milk anyfat farmed(AMF)
• ice domesticcream birds,made andonly anyfrom farmeddairy wildproducts, birds 
• anystabilisers, wildflavourings game,and includingsweeteners. wildFor birdsexample, ora wildfrozen landyoghurt mammals,with thatadded aresugar huntedand forvanilla consumption,flavouring, whetheror theyan areall-dairy trulyice wildcream orwith keptno inadded wild-likeoils

Composite conditionsproducts

Phase to2 bedoes hunted 

anynot lagomorphsinclude whichcomposite liveproducts inthat thecontain wildproducts andfrom this list.

Composite products are huntedproducts forthat consumption 

animalcontain blood 

both:

• meatplant preparations products
• freshprocessed meat POAO for human consumption
• any

For otherexample, productsa producedchilled frompizza partswith ofprocessed animals,cheese includingdoes gelatinenot (sweetsneed withindividual gelatinelabelling doin phase 2.

It is not needa tocomposite beproduct individuallyif labelleda asplant theyproduct areonly shelf-stableadds products)

processedspecial meatcharacteristics to a POAO, such as chickenflavour, nuggets –sweetness foror example,as chickena wingsthickening or breasts,decorative anyagent. meatThese mince,products steakstherefore andneed joints,to burgers,be slicedindividually meats,product breadedlabelled.

The chickenfollowing suchexamples are still defined as fillets,dairy dippersproducts, oras nuggets,the duckplant orproduct gooseonly fat,adds pâté,flavour:

• cheese andwith sausagesadded includingherbs
• yoghurt cocktailwith sausagesadded fruit
• breaded cheese, such as mozzarella sticks

PrepackedCompound meat products

TheseCompound areproducts meatthat productsneed whichlabelling havein undergonephase an2 actionare thatdairy substantiallyproducts alterscombined thewith initialanother product,POAO, includingsuch heating,as smoking,dairy curing,or maturing,fish. drying,For marinating,example, extraction,fish extrusionwith a cheese sauce or aprawns combinationpackaged ofwith thosea processes. dairy dip.

These

Commodity codes for products couldincluded bein fresh,phase chilled,2

You frozen,can deep-frozenalso oruse thawed.

Meatthe packedlists onof salescommodity premises

Thiscodes isto meatconfirm which isproducts preparedneed andlabels packedin beforephase sale2.

Phase to3: aProducts consumer,that suchneed as:

individual product labels from 1 July 2025

• meat

  From 1 July 2025, additional food and animalretail origingoods must be individually labelled. This includes composite products whichthat are butcherednot onshelf site,stable packagedor require sanitary and soldphytosanitary oncontrols, thesuch shopas floor,pizza.

  Composite likeproducts cutscontain both products of steakplant ororigin lamb,and freshprocessed poultryPOAO orfor cutshuman ofconsumption. game

• meatUse productsthe whichdecision aretree processedto anddetermine packagedwhether onyour site,product likeis fresha mincecomposite product.

  Some plant-based products orare burgers

• meatsubject onto supermarketofficial delicontrols, ormeaning butcherthey countersneed whereindividual labels.

  Pet food and the productfollowing isproducts packagedfor beforehumans sale

Someneed dairyindividual productslabels (includingin bothphase prepacked3.

All pre-packed and packedsealed onfruit salesand premises)vegetables

ThisSuch includes: as:

• pasteurisedpacked milk,fruit buttermilk,such oras creamapples, products oranges, blueberries
• cottagegreen cheese,beans, quarkbeansprouts cheeseand orother rawpackaged ​​(unpasteurised) cheese, of any animal origin vegetables
• crèmeherbs, fraicheincluding andthose sourin creambags

Phase

Some 2:fruits Productsare thatderegulated needin individualaccordance productwith labelsplant fromhealth 1legislation Octoberand 2024

Fromdo 1not Octoberneed 2024,individual inlabelling. additionSome tofruits theand phasevegetables 1that products,are allprocessed milkdo andnot dairyneed productsindividual movinglabelling. toRead Northernthe Irelandlist underof NIRMSexemptions willon needthis page to becheck ​​individuallywhich labelledfruit atproducts productdo level. not need individual labels.

Dairy

All productsfresh, arefrozen and processed productsfish

Such resultingas:

• fresh fromfish thesuch processingas ofhaddock, rawcod, milksalmon, ortrout, anymonkfish
• other productsfresh producedseafood fromsuch furtheras processingprawns, ofcrab, otherlobster
• tinned dairyfish products.such Dairyas productstuna, include:
  anchovies, mackerel
  • allbreaded milk,and buttermilkbattered orfish creamproducts such as fillets and scampi
  • wheyseafood sticks
  • butterfish pâté

  Other POAO

  Such as:

  • butteroileggs
  • caseinshoney
  • anhydrous

  All milkchilled fator frozen composite products and some chilled plant products that require certification or controls at a border control post (AMFBCP)

  Such as:

  • quiches, lasagne, pork pies, scotch eggs, tortillas or omelettes, coleslaws, potato salads and other similar savoury snacks
  • cheesepasta sauces, guacamole, thousand island dressing, gravy, hummus and other similar sauces and dips
  • yogurtpizzas, raviolis and other pastas containing meat, pasties, pies, noodles containing meat, meal kits with dairy sauce, loaded fries, ready meals and other similar chilled meals
  • kefireclairs, doughnuts, tarts, trifles, sundaes, crumbles, pies, mousses, brownies, strudels and other similar chilled or frozen desserts
  • koumissice creams that are a mix of dairy products and plant products not used simply for flavouring (such as oils)
  • viilichilled soups containing meat or filfish
  • smetanachilled dairy-based drinks such as iced lattes and milkshakes

  All shelf-stable composite products, unless they are listed in the ‘Exemptions’ section

  Shelf-stable composite products that do require individual labelling include:

  • filbaking ingredients
  • rjaženkaicing mixes
  • rūgušpiensmeal kits where they contain non-exempt POAO such as cheese
  • flavouredinfant dairyor products baby powders and formula
  • icemayonnaise creamand madepesto

  Some solelycut fromflowers

  Cut dairyflowers products, stabiliserswhere andthey flavourings

• UHTare milklisted in Part A of Annex XI and productsAnnex madeXII fromto UHTthe milk 
phytosanitary conditions Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, such as:
• thermisedcut milkconifer, pine and productsfir madetrees
• cut fromChristmas thermised milktrees
• orchids
• roses
• chrysanthemum

Phase

Exemptions: 2food doesproducts that do not includeneed compositeindividual productslabels

Some thatcases containare productsexempt from thisindividual list.labelling Forrequirements. example,This aapplies chilledto pizzaboth withspecific processedproducts cheeseand wouldspecific comesettings intowhere forceproducts inare phasesold, 3. as follows.

However,Box itand isretail notpremises alabelling compositerequirements productstill ifapply afor plantthe productmajority addsof specialexempt characteristicsproducts.

Products tosold ain POAO,specific likesettings flavour,exempt sweetnessfrom individual labelling

Products are exempt from individual labelling if they are:

• sold loose or actsby weight on the sales premises at the consumer’s request, such as aloose thickeningfresh fruit, cheese and meat deli counters or decorativerefillable agent.cereal Therefore,containers
• processed itand needssold toon bethe individuallysales productpremises labelled.by a retailer, at the consumer’s request, for direct consumption. For example, iffreshly herbsproduced arepies addedor tocroissants, cheese or fruitfood isserved addedin toan yoghurt,in-store orrestaurant
• for sale in a breadedfactory cheesecanteen suchor asother mozzarellasimilar sticks,food theservice productsoperator, and are stillintended dairyfor productseating ason the plantspot productin onlyNorthern addsIreland. flavour. 

  CompoundFor example, products thatsold includein dairyinstitutional canteens, restaurants, schools, prisons, hospitals or onboard an airline. These products combinedare withexempt anotherfrom POAOall product,labelling suchrequirements, asincluding dairyat orbox fish,level

Products still require individual labelling inif phasethey 2.are Forprocessed example,on fishthe withsame apremises separateor saucesold orby prawnsweight, but are packaged withbefore athe dairyconsumer dip.requests.

Phase

If 3:a Productsproduct thatis needexempt from individual productlabelling labelsdue fromto 1the Julysetting 2025

Fromwhere 1it Julyis 2025,sold, additionalit foodrequires productsbox-level thatlabelling moveunless throughthe NIRMSproduct mustis bemade individuallyfor labelled.eating Thison includesthe petspot. food,For unprocessedexample, fruitif andyou vegetables,sell fish,portions eggs,of honeycheese andat compositea products,deli suchcounter asit pizza. 

Compositewould productsnot areneed productsindividual labelling but would instead require labelling on the box that containthe bothwhole productswas ofmoved plantin. originCheese andsold processedin productsa ofsupermarket animalhowever originno (POAO)longer forneeds humanbox-level consumption.labelling, Foras example,it compositeis productsnow include:individually labelled.

Products that are exempt from individual labelling in all settings

Products can be exempt from individual labelling because:

• lasagne
• porkthey pies
• scotchdo eggs
• pepperoninot pizzarequire certification or controls at agri-food points of entry under the EU’s Official Controls Regulation
• ice EU creamspublic thathealth requirements are amet mixas ofset dairyout productsin EU legislation and plantare matched in UK law
• the products notare usedderegulated forin flavouringaccordance (suchwith asplant oils)health legislation

PhasesMost 1processed andshelf-stable 2products that do not includecontain compositePOAO products.are Theexempt labellingfrom requirementsindividual forlabelling. compositeThe productsfollowing cometypes intoof forceproducts inare phaseexempt 3.from individual labelling.

Exceptions:

All foodprocessed productsfruit thatand dovegetables

This notapplies needprovided individualthat labels

Youthey willare not needsubject to individuallyofficial labelcontrols theat followinga products,BCP (althoughaccording boxto andthe retailOffical premisesControls labellingRegulation, requirementssuch apply):as:

• productsmixed soldfresh loosefruit, orsuch byas weightfruit onsalads
• fresh thesalad salesbags, premisessalad atboxes theand consumer’sready-to-eat request  salads
• productstinned processedfruit and soldvegetables
• canned onsoups thethat salesdo premisesnot bycontain aPOAO
• baked retailer,beans
• chopped attomatoes
• preserved thevegetables
• shelf-stable consumer’solives, request,including forthose directstuffed consumption 
• productswith thatother arevegetables, forcheese saleor infish

Most adried factoryfruit canteen,and institutionalvegetable canteen,products

Such restaurant,as:

• raisins orand other similardried foodfruits
• dried serviceherbs operator, and arespices
• vegetable intendedcrisps forand eatingother ondried thevegetables

All spotderegulated fruits in Northernany Irelandform (except where a phytosanitary certificate is required)

Such as:

• pineapples
• bananas
• coconuts
• dates
• durians

Shelf-stable

Most compositefrozen products include:without POAO

Such as:

• Confectioneryfrozen (includingfruits, sweets)including fruit mixes and whitecrushed chocolate,fruits
• frozen notpeas, containingcarrots, cocoa,sweetcorn and confectioneryother (includingvegetables
• frozen sweets),chips
• non-dairy chocolateice creams and othersorbets
• ice foodlollies
• smoothie preparations,mixes

Most spreads,spreads

Such as:

• jams, marmalades, conserves and preparationspreserves forproduced makingfrom beverages,any containingfruit cocoa except grapes or bananas
• pasta,peanut noodlesbutter and couscous,other notnut mixedbutters
• marmite orand filledyeast withextract meat products products
• preparedlemon foodscurd obtainedand byother thefruit swellingcurds
• chocolate orspreads
• vegetable roastingspreads

Table ofsauces cerealsand orcondiments

Such cerealas:

• pasta products,sauces preparedand foodscurry obtainedsauces
• tomato fromketchup
• mustard
• vinegar
• brown unroastedsauce
• chilli cerealand flakeshot orsauce
• Worcester fromsauce
• chutneys
• soy mixturessauce
• miso

Grains, ofpulses unroastedand cerealcereals

Such flakesas:

• raw andcereals roastedincluding cerealgrains, flakeswheat orand swelledoats cereal and other similar products
• bread,breakfast cakes,cereals, biscuits,including wafflesthose andcontaining wafers,sugar rusks,or toastedchocolate
• any breadproduct andproduced similarfrom toastedroasted productsor andunroasted chipscereal and crisps flakes
• olivesrice stuffedand withrice fish pouches
• extracts,quinoa
• couscous essences(except andwhere concentratesit ofcontains coffee,unprocessed teafruit or matévegetables or any meat)
• pulses and preparationsgrains, withincluding abulgar basiswheat, oflentils anyand ofpearl thesebarley
• flour
• bread products mixes
• roastedambient chicorybread, andcakes, otherbiscuits, roastedwaffles coffeeand substitutes,wafers, andrusks, extracts,toasted essencesbread and concentratessimilar oftoasted these products products
• souppasta stocks and flavouringsnoodles, packaged for the final consumer, including misothose containing adairy smallproducts, amountexcept ofwhere fishit soupcontains stock,meat

Snacks

Such andas:

• crisps, soyincluding saucethose containing adairy smallproducts amountor offlavourings
• nuts
• seeds
• crackers
• popcorn
• biscuits

Cooking fishoils

Such soupas:

• olive stock oil
• foodvegetable supplementsoil
• sunflower thatoil
• rapeseed areoil
• ground packagednut forand theother finalnut consumeroils
• cooking sprays

Sugars and containconfectionary, ​​​smallsweets (inand totalchocolate lessproducts, thanincluding 20%)those ​amountscontaining ofmilk

Such animalas:

• white productschocolate, ormilk glucosamine,chocolate chondroitinand ordark chitosan chocolates regardless of cocoa percentage
• liqueurshot chocolate drinks and cordialsmixes

Products

• boiled whichsweets
• marshmallows
• gelatine-based meetsweets
• all UKtypes publicof healthsugar standardsincluding andnatural, docaster, notgranulated, requireDemerara certificationand orcane
• all controlstypes atof agri-foodsyrups pointsincluding ofgolden, entrymaple underand thetreacle

Most Officialalcoholic Controlsand Regulation.most Thesenon-alcoholic productsdrinks

Such include:as:

• processedgin, orrum, cannedvodka, fruitliquors and vegetablesother (includingalcoholic ​​​​​​​​​fruit juices)​​     ​ spirits
• frozenwine, peas including champagne, prosecco, other sparkling wines, port and brandy
• driedshelf-stable herbscream liquors and spices spirits
• flavourings beers (except those containing products that require labelling such as honey)
• plant-basedcider milks(except suchthose ascontaining oat,products almondthat andrequire soylabelling milk such as honey)
• jam soft drinks
• peanut butter cordials
• maplefruit syrupjuices and(except othergrape syrups juice)
• olivewater, oil including spring waters and mineral waters
• vinegar energy drinks

All hot drinks that do not contain milk

Such as:

• tomatotea, ketchupincluding orteabags, otherloose fruittea and vegetableinstant condiments tea
• jarscoffee, ofincluding pastainstant sauce 
• nutscoffee, andcoffee seeds beans, pods
• popcorn,tea crackersblends and crisps infusions
• tomatochicory soup 
• frozenand chips other alternative hot drinks
• tea

Some bags,cut driedflowers

Cut teaflowers leaves,that andare coffee 

listed in Part B of Annex XI to the phytosanitary conditions Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, such as:

• cereals lilies
• flour sugarbushes
• rice cut trees other than conifers, firs or Christmas tress
• natural sugar daisies

Other products

Such as:

• wine all ‘alternative’ plant-based milk substitutes, such as oat milk
• softall drinks food supplements that are packaged for the final consumer, whether or not they contain any animal products (including whey-based supplements)
• ​​​​​beerdental products for consumption, such as mouthwash, toothpaste and cider​​​​​​ other similar products
• ​​​springall water,food mineralcontact watermaterials, including disposable cutlery, plates, food storage containers, coffee machines, blenders and other bottledsimilar waters​​products
• all flavourings

Deregulated

Commodity fruitscodes arefor exempt products

You can also use the lists of commodity codes to confirm which products are exempt from individual labels: labelling.

• pineapples 
• bananas 
• coconuts 
• dates 
• durians 

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’, thereyou aremust requirements to label the box or crate. 

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

It is recognised that businesses move products in different ways. Therefore,This this requirement should therefore be implemented in the most pragmatic way possible,possible. suchFor as: example: 

• labelling of shrink wrap whichthat is not removed until products are unloaded at stores where appropriate, for example because products are not stored in boxes or crates
• labelling the cage if products are not stored in boxes, crates or shrink wrap, you can label the cage. wrap
• you do not need to label the tray that protects products or prevents leakage if the box is labelled
• during 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’

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

Labelling for retailer premises in Northern Ireland

Where products do not have an individual product label, retail premises in Northern Ireland must make sure there is appropriate visibility to customers in store 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 selling products that have entered under NIRMS. 

Food products that do not have an individual product label and have moved under NIRMS should have shelf-level labels 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 government will continue to engage with industry on the practical ways inthat which these requirements can be met. 

Retail premises must display posters in their stores, so that customers are aware that goods moved to Northern Ireland under NIRMS are intended for consumption in the UnitedUK Kingdom ​and are​ not to be sold or consumed in the EU. 

Posters may be in paper or digital format. Retail 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 whichthat retailers may choose to use instead of creating their own​.​​​​ 

Catering operators do not need to label shelves for food products that are intended to be eaten on the spot in Northern Ireland. This includes food products in a factory canteen, institutional canteen, catered event, hospital, prison or restaurant.​​ 

​​Retail premises are responsible for ensuring that these arrangements are in 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 30-day transition period at the start of each phase. This means that goods that are already on the market will not need to be re-labelled and willcan be able to be sold during the transition 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.​​  

​​Phase 2 products that were moved into Northern Ireland before 1 October 2024 will not need an individual product label until 31 October 2024. 

Phase 3 products that were moved into Northern Ireland before 1 July 2025 willdo not need an individual product label 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, but they must not be easily 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. 

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

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

Products should be marked in line with existing 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

Email ni.trade@defra.gov.uk if you have questions about the new labelling requirements.

Funding

The UK government offered financial support for businesses registered to NIRMS who had to prepare for phase 1 labelling requirements to move or receive goods under NIRMS.

Applications for the NIRMS Transitional Labelling Financial Assistance Scheme have now closed.

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

Following consultation, the UK government willdid not proceed with the introduction of ‘not‘Not for EU’ labelling in Great Britain on a mandatory basis onfrom 1 October 2024. 2024.

AtWe theare samedeveloping time, we will develop legislation to apply ‘not‘Not for EU’ labelling in Great Britain in the futurefuture, inif ait’s targetedneeded way,to ifsecure therethose issupplies evidenceacross ofthe need.UK Seeinternal ourmarket. policyWe updatewill forset moreout information.further information in due course.