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Selling consumer products in the UK

In Great Britain, most product rules are assimilated EU law, now changed in the UK. Northern Ireland follows EU rules for goods. The Food Standards Agency oversees food, feed and food contact materials; OPSS oversees product safety, cosmetics, toys and electricals; HSE oversees chemicals. Local authorities and trading standards enforce.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Who writes the rules
Parliament and ministers, much of it assimilated EU law
Food
The Food Standards Agency, and Food Standards Scotland
Cosmetics and product safety
The Office for Product Safety and Standards
Chemicals
HSE, for GB CLP, UK REACH and biocides
Product marking
UKCA or CE in GB; CE in Northern Ireland
Who enforces
Local authorities and trading standards
Northern Ireland
EU rules for goods, under the Windsor Framework

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in the UK.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it sold in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or both? Read more
  2. 2Which product class is it, and who answers for it? Read more
  3. 3Does the label need a UK address or UK Responsible Person? Read more
  4. 4Does it need UKCA or CE marking, and a declaration of conformity? Read more
  5. 5Is it a chemical mixture that needs a GB CLP hazard label? Read more
  6. 6Is the business obligated for packaging? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

How UK product rules work

Where the rules come from, which body covers which product, and who answers for it.

  • In Great Britain, references to EU Regulations are read as assimilated law; in Northern Ireland, EU law for goods continues to apply.
  • Prepacked food sold in GB shows a UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man address for the business or its importer, since 1 January 2024.
  • A cosmetic product sold in GB has a Responsible Person with a UK address, and is notified to OPSS before sale.
  • Infant formula and baby food follow the food for specific groups rules, and pet food follows animal feed law, which the FSA covers.
  • Toys, electrical goods and other listed products have their own regulations; other consumer products fall under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, with duties on producers, including UK importers.

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these apply to your product, on each side of the GB and NI split, and keeps the documents behind each one ready. Ask about this

UKCA and CE marking

Conformity marking for toys, electrical goods and other regulated manufactured products.

  • UKCA and CE markings show the manufacturer believes the product meets the relevant requirements. The regimes span over 20 product types.
  • The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024 extend recognition of the CE marking in GB indefinitely for many products, so either marking can be used.
  • Products placed on the Northern Ireland or EU market need the CE marking, with the UKNI marking where a UK body did the third-party assessment.
  • An importer is a UK-established business placing a product from outside the UK on the GB market, including from the EU, and gives its name and address on the product.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps declarations of conformity and certificates with each product, and shows which marking each one supports. Ask about this

Chemicals

Classification, labelling and registration for chemical substances and mixtures.

  • The EU CLP Regulation, as amended, is assimilated into GB law as GB CLP, with the Health and Safety Executive as the GB CLP Agency.
  • UK REACH applies to most chemical substances manufactured in or imported into GB, on their own, in mixtures or in articles.
  • In Northern Ireland, the EU CLP Regulation and EU REACH apply.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps safety data sheets and suppliers' REACH statements with each product, and shows which are out of date. Ask about this

Packaging responsibility

Extended producer responsibility, across product types.

  • A UK business that supplied or imported more than 25 tonnes of packaging in the previous year, with a turnover of £1 million or more, is an obligated producer.
  • Above 50 tonnes and £2 million turnover it is a large producer, with more obligations than a small producer.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps your packaging specifications and weights with each product. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
BrandThe product sold under its name, its label and its claims.The rules that apply, with the paperwork behind each, in one place.
ManufacturerMaking the product to the rules, and the evidence that it was.Specifications, test reports and certificates ready for each customer's form.
UK importerProducts made outside the UK, often including the address on the label.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Distributor and retailerDue care, checking markings and labels, and not supplying products they know are unsafe.The documents each product needs, shown when a buyer asks.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

In Great Britain, references to EU Regulations are read as assimilated law. In Northern Ireland, EU rules for goods continue to apply under the Windsor Framework.

Scotland has its own food body, Food Standards Scotland, and some regulations are made separately for England, Wales and Scotland.

Questions businesses ask

Do EU rules still apply in the UK?
In Great Britain, most EU product law was kept as assimilated law and can now be changed in the UK. In Northern Ireland, EU rules for goods continue to apply under the Windsor Framework.
Who regulates food in the UK?
The Food Standards Agency, with Food Standards Scotland in Scotland. Local authorities and trading standards enforce.
Who regulates cosmetics and product safety in the UK?
The Office for Product Safety and Standards. Cosmetic products are notified to OPSS before they are sold in Great Britain.
Does a product sold in the UK need a UK address?
Prepacked food sold in GB shows a UK address for the business or its importer, and cosmetics need a Responsible Person with a UK address. Other rules set their own.
Who has packaging obligations in the UK?
Under extended producer responsibility, a UK business supplying or importing more than 25 tonnes of packaging a year with a turnover of £1 million or more.
Do the same rules apply in Northern Ireland?
Not always. Northern Ireland follows EU rules for goods, so food, cosmetics, chemicals and product safety rules there can differ from Great Britain.
Is the CE mark accepted in Great Britain?
Yes, for many products. Since 1 October 2024, the CE marking is recognised indefinitely in GB, so businesses can use either the UKCA or the CE marking.
Who regulates toys and electrical products in the UK?
The Office for Product Safety and Standards sets the guidance. In GB, local trading standards enforce, with Ofcom for radio spectrum and the Secretary of State also an enforcement authority.
Who regulates chemical and cleaning product labels in Great Britain?
The Health and Safety Executive, as the GB CLP Agency. UK REACH also applies to chemicals manufactured in or imported into GB.
Who regulates infant formula and pet food in the UK?
Infant formula follows the food for specific groups rules, with DHSC handling notifications in England. Pet food is animal feed under FSA guidance, and APHA approves plants using animal by-products.
Which rules apply to kitchenware and food containers?
Food contact materials law, assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, with specific rules for plastics and ceramics. The FSA oversees it and local authorities enforce.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the UK?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the split between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the UK and what your paperwork needs to show.

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No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

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