For context , I am based in India. Ordered this can of Sardines in Olive oil but it says not for EU. Can someone please tell me what's the difference here? Why can't this can be sold in EU?
Posted by Strong_Boss_8932@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 45 comments
aweaselonwheels@reddit
Because it is supposed to be sold in the UK because of the exit of the UK from the EU caused all sorts of tax and export issues specifically around Northern Ireland as there was a concern about products from the UK being sent to Northern Ireland and then sent to Southern Ireland which is in the EU without the duty/tax/paperwork being done and making it a way of slipping products into the EU.
So yeah your supplier shouldn't be selling it internationally unless they have done all the paperwork for it but the label doesn't mean there is something wrong with it đ
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Ok so 3 things I understood from everyone's comments is that :-
This label is compulsory under UK law because of taxation guidelines.
Companies in the UK have to pay some regulatory fees to check the quality of the food being sold in the UK/EU which is being avoided here.
The quality is the same as UK, this is just to comply with British regulations.
Pearsepicoetc@reddit
Basically, it's a product that almost certainly does meet the requirements for being sold in the EU but has to be marked this way because there are no checks on goods crossing the border in Ireland.
In an Indian context it would be like if India had a trade deal with Bangladesh that allowed Bangladesh goods to be sold in the seven sisters and vice versa but not in the rest of India.
If no one is actually checking goods moving from the seven sisters to the rest of India you'd need a marking that makes it clear where the product is allowed to be sold. This is that marking, it indicates that it is a product produced in GB that can be sold in Northern Ireland but isn't allowed to cross the border.
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Oh this means that this product was illegally exported overseas?
aweaselonwheels@reddit
I am not an expert on this as I am sure there are many legit ways that food items originally packaged for one country can be sold in another as we have all come across this. All I am saying is that in answer to your original question is that the UK and EU food standards are aligned in basically every way and there is no reason to be concerned about the NOT FOR EU mark on the packaging.
Actually John West have a way you can find out where your fish is from : https://sustainability.john-west.co.uk/ <-- bung your can id etc in there and it will tell your where your fish are from but because of the mark on the can I would put UK down as the country đ
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Wow thanks for the tip mate, I'm gonna be using this link a lot going forwardđ¤
Psyk60@reddit
If you bought it in the EU, yes.
But in India it depends on what your laws are. I don't think the "not for EU" label means it can't be exported anywhere, just not to the EU. If they do all the paperwork and pay the correct customs duties then presumably it can be legally sold in India.
aweaselonwheels@reddit
Oh once it is out of the UK/EU then then it is all dependant on local rules and regulations of wherever it ends up đ I was never trying to claim that there was anything wrong with this tin of sardines or who or how it was sold I was trying to reassure that there was nothing wrong with the contents and it was a quirk of the packaging and as John West are an international brand it it is only normal to see a tin of fish without that text on it in the UK market.
Peppy_Tomato@reddit
Just in response to your last paragraph, lots of UK goods find their way into other countries, not because the supplier rerouted them, but because the attraction to UK goods is still high enough in some Commonwealth countries that importers from those countries will often buy UK labelled goods at retail, sometimes even with RRP in ÂŁ printed on, and export them directly.
The more obviously British the goods are, and the retail labelling helps here, the more cachet they have as being genuine.Â
aweaselonwheels@reddit
You are completely correct, I think that I probably should had phrased it as that the product was not designed or packaged/labelled for international sale but rather for sale in the UK market but the rather terse NOT FOR EU is a quirk of the EU/NI regulation issue
MarkCairns67@reddit
Ex-FSA employee here. It's down to labelling and regulatory compliance. For example -
Sardines - under EU law, only fish of the species Sardina pilchardus (European sardines) can be labelled as "sardines." John West products sold outside the EU sometimes contain a mix of European, Pacific or other sardine species, which in the EU would have to be labelled differently (like 'Greek style yoghurt').
Olive oil - The EU also has strict grading rules for olive oil. If the olive oil used doesn't meet EU grade classifications, it can't be described the same way on packaging sold there.
TLDR It's a perfectly fine, safe product - it just hasn't been formulated, tested, and labelled to meet EU regulatory standards. Manufacturers produce different SKUs for different regulatory zones rather than making one universal version which would be needlessly gold-plated.
LongsandsBeach@reddit
This isnât really correct.
âNot for EUâ was a compromise to stop checks on food between GB and NI. By labelling food that isnât meant to be exported to the EU regulators are easily able to spot anything trying to circumvent the rules.
The food is exactly the same. The UK hasnât changed any rules
Some PDO food from the EU sold in the UK has that labelling. There isnât a EU-safe and rest-of-world Brunswick ham or Greek Yogurt recipe.
The-Purple-Chicken@reddit
I don't think this is right. As far as i know its got nothing to do with EU vs UK standards. 'Not for EU' labelling just denotes the use of the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. Products which are perfectly fine for both markets still feature it.
You'll see it on milk, yogurts, meat etc. all over the UK. Identical formula products have it in some places and not in others.
synth_fg@reddit
It's not even standards which are similar if not identical between the UK and EU
It's more the EU bars certain types of processed food that is not manufactured in the EU from entering
This means that things like sausages manufactured in the UK can't be exported to the eu
The not for EU labelling is part of an agreement with the EU to get around issues with sending such products to northern Ireland whilst maintaining the open boarder between NI and the Republic
LongsandsBeach@reddit
The EU doesnât ban its own products like Parma ham, halloumi or Greek yogurt, but that is labelled ânot for EUâ if itâs sold in the UK.
Itâs the exact same product as youâd buy in the EU.
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Thank you very much for explaining this. This is the best canned sardines that I can get around here and if the "not for EU" thing is just to comply with laws in the UK without actually affecting the quality of the food then I can live with that, thanks!
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Lots of products have it as they simply donât have the labelling required or are made with ingredients of a different grading system
squeakstar@reddit
UK enshitification
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Yeah
Millefeuille-coil@reddit
The sardines forgot to pack their passports
Riquende@reddit
Don't forget the new regulations for entry, they could also be asked for their fish fingerprints.
Millefeuille-coil@reddit
They might loose their head over that
DoorFinch@reddit
The labelling is due to Northern Ireland/Ireland trade rules. It has nothing to do with EU regulation standards.
Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit
What, no, it's just that it's made in the UK.
alfiesred47@reddit
True in some cases, but also youâll see it on non-food items which is because of a tax issue, not a quality issue.
Martipar@reddit
Tax. There is a land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and it's there to ensure British products aren't being sold outside the UK without the correct taxes being paid.
deadliftbear@reddit
Itâs more to do with the sanitary/phytosanitary checks required to sell a non-EU product in the EU. A new agreement is about to be signed that will do away with almost all those checks and certificates.
Sufficient_Spite2684@reddit
This guy SPSes. It's worth noting that the IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing regulations are not planned to be part of the agreement, so ironically it looks like fish will still need catch certificates to ship to the EU.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sps-agreement-preparing-your-business/fish-and-shellfish-preparing-your-business
alfiesred47@reddit
Not necessarily true, youâll see ânot for sale in EUâ on many non-food items too, itâs not always a sanitary/quality issue. Itâs also about tax
Odd-Calligrapher-69@reddit
Lol the real question is why are you ordering sardines from Britain to India lol
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Canned fish culture isn't really popular in India many people do t even know about canned fish........I think I have a business Idea.
The-Purple-Chicken@reddit
Despite what others have said its nothing to do with food standards. It's purely a statement required for use of the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. It does not mean they are lower quality, or even different quality.
Not For EU Labelling
Fantastic_Picture384@reddit
The EU considers Northern Ireland to be theirs basically.
Prince_John@reddit
This comment manages to be both wrong and not answer the OPs question.
Fantastic_Picture384@reddit
You are quite correct.
Boboshady@reddit
Different food standards. That's not to say that this product doesn't meet those standards, just that they've not paid to harmonise it against those standards.
MorningToast@reddit
It's about taxation.
tmr89@reddit
Boboshady@reddit
Nope.
Strong_Boss_8932@reddit (OP)
Thank you for explaining in simple terms my friend, it tastes awesome! My first taste of sardines haha
MathematicianSad8487@reddit
Rules around import export . So these cans can go from England to northern Ireland but are not allowed to be sold in the republic of Ireland which is still in the EU.
tollis1@reddit
There are different food standards in the world. EU has very strict regulations. A lot of food is not allowed to sell there.
Iâm not saying this is bad, but it is not kept to the standard of EU.
dimesdan@reddit
It's so that products that get transferred through Northern Ireland get set to the right location, either into the Republic of Ireland for products for the EU or onto the "British mainland" for products that arn't for the EU.
It was a way to prevent a hard boarder on the island of Ireland between the North and the Republic.
hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit
There are no customs checks between Northern Ireland and either mainland GB or the Republic of Ireland, but there are customs checks between mainland UK and the Republic of Ireland. This means that the product can be moved from mainland GB to Northern Ireland but can't be exported to the Republic of Ireland.
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