UK government drops “Not for EU” labeling plans after industry backlash

Plans to enforce “Not for EU” labels for meat and dairy products in Great Britain have been temporarily scrapped this week after industry bodies voiced concerns that the move would drive up costs for manufacturers, damage exports and be off-putting to consumers.

The plans were made by the former Conservative government and were set to be applied to a broader range of products, including fruits, vegetables and fish in July 2025.

The labels are already enforced on products in Northern Ireland to prevent British produce entering the Republic of Ireland, which is prohibited as part of the Windsor Framework agreement between the UK and EU.

The UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF) released a “State of Industry” survey last year, which highlighted that its members were concerned extending the labeling on a UK-wide basis would cause “further hindrance to growth, investment, exports and jobs while increasing consumer prices and restricting the choice of products.”

An FDF spokesperson tells us: “Due to the strong impact from our members, we have been in close contact with the new government to explain and represent our industry’s position — which is why the announcement this week was very welcome.”

“In terms of labeling, in Northern Ireland there has been an information campaign in shops to explain the ‘Not for EU’ label. However, because in Great Britain we didn’t have this information and the labeling was new, it was causing confusion for customers. We have anecdotal evidence that some people thought the label might actually indicate a product was made to lower standards (which is obviously incorrect).”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now working to reach a wide set of agreements with the EU that could drop the need for such food labels completely while protecting the country’s internal market.