Unique formula identifiers are a label element that is required on certain product labels from 2021. It is a 16-character code. By 2025, the UFI will be mandatory on the label of all products classified as having health or physical hazards. Importers and downstream users placing such products on the market, will have to provide specific product information, including the UFI for the use of poison centres. Tools and support to generate
the UFI are available on ECHA’s Poison Centres website.
The aims are to establish an unambiguous link between the information provided with the product placed on the market. The condition for assigning a UFI, is that all products labelled and notified with the same UFI need to share the same mixture composition.
From when should the UFI be shown on the product?
As soon as the product is registered via the new PCN portal, the UFI must be shown on the product in line with the new legislation. The UFI code can be placed on the CLP label, or in the vicinity of the CLP label. The UFI is obligatory on the labels of all products classified as hazardous due to their potential health or physical risks.
From 01/01/2021 all mixtures within the European Union must have a UFI code. For industrial use mixtures, there is a deadline of 01/01/2024. Mixtures that are already on the market have until the 1 January 2025. From that date onwards, all products containing hazardous mixtures must have a Unique Formula Identifier on the label.