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

On 9^th June 2023, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published guidance on labelling requirements for certain products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.

Defra have recently updated the guidance, incorporating feedback and queries they have received from businesses. This includes providing more examples of products falling into different phases, expanding on definitions e.g. of compound and composite products, and further details on products with exemptions to individual labelling.

Commodity Codes

They have also published the commodity codes for products that will be covered by Phase 2 – you can access them here

Should you have any questions or queries relating to the labelling guidance, please email ni.trade@defra.gov.uk.      

In Summary

​​Since​ 1 October 2023, businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) can move prepacked retail goods as well as certain loose goods, including fruit and vegetables, through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS). There has been an update to this guidance on 5th August 2024.

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

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

From 1 July 2025, fruit, vegetables moving to Northern Ireland under NIRMS will also need to be individually labelled.

Not all products moved under NIRMS need to be individually labelled. There is an exception list below of products that do not need to be individually labelled under NIRMS. If products are individually labelled, you do not need to label the box or have appropriate signage.

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 request

You can find full details below:

Labelling requirements for certain products moving from Great Britain to retail premises in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)