The trigger for the introduction of the new UFI code is the improvement of consumer protection: In case of poisoning of children with household products such as detergents, special cleaners, glues, fertilizers or other hazardous mixtures, it is crucial to know the exact ingredients of the product. This allows the right action to be taken to counteract the problem. For the manufacturer, however, the exact formulation is a business secret, which is why he only states the ingredients in general terms. In an emergency, without knowing the exact chemical compounds, it is not possible for a poison control center to suggest the best treatment.
UFI code: The code that saves lives!
The UFI code allows your company to store the exact chemical composition behind this alphanumeric number without publicly disclosing the chemical formulation. To do this, you as the manufacturer must submit the recipe to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and generate a UFI code for it. ECHA stores prescription data in a database that can only be accessed by authorized poison information centers.
UFI code structure
The UFI code is a 16-digit alphanumeric number. For the generation of the code you use a UFI generator. An online generator already exists, but you can also apply the appropriate algorithm to include the UFI generator in your system.
What are the rules for marking the UFI code?
- The “UFI:” acronym applies to all official EU languages and must always be preceded by the UFI code in capital letters and with a colon.
- The 16-digit code is to be divided into four sections by hyphens.
- Regarding font and font size, there is only the provision that the UFI code must be clearly visible and indelible. An indelible code depends on the marking technology and the surface properties.
- Where you must place the UFI code on the label is not defined. To make sure that it can be found quickly in an emergency, the place near the danger pictograms is ideal.
Which products must be labeled?
UFI labeling is mandatory for all products containing chemically hazardous mixtures.
For which countries does the UFI code apply?
The UFI code is a requirement of the CLP regulation of the European Union. Therefore, this is applicable in all countries in the EEA area (EU countries + Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland).
SPECIAL CASE SWITZERLAND
Since the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU have been put on hold, the Swiss Poison Center “Tox Info Suisse” is not authorized to read the data from the ECHA database. For this reason, you must register the products from the EU in Switzerland again with the notification authority for chemicals.
However, the EU UFI code can be retained. For products that you only distribute within the Swiss market, there is a separate Swiss-UFI generator. If you deliver your products from Switzerland to the EU, an “EU authorized representative” must be designated in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1020.
As of when must the UFI code be printed?
As of January 1, 2021, the UFI code is already mandatory for residential and commercial hazardous mixtures. From 2024, you must label industrially used mixtures with the code. For products reported under the old procedure, the transition period expires on January 1, 2025.
Which EU regulation governs the UFI Code?
The extension of CLP Regulation (EU) 1272/2008 with Annex VIII (EU) 2017/542 announces the legal effect of the UFI code from 01.01.2020.
Conclusion
In order to increase product safety, the EU is constantly increasing regulatory requirements in sensitive industries. We know the principle behind this from medical technology, for example. What the UDI code is in medical technology, the UFI code is in the chemical industry. By authorizing poison information centers to access ECHA’s prescription database, they can respond quickly in an emergency, and thus save lives.
Faulty labeling can lead directly to the death of a person. Therefore, you must make sure that you print the UFI code automatically and that there is no duplicate data in a chemical application and in the ERP system. Accidental incorrect synchronization or manual adjustment can quickly negatively affect the labeling.
With OPAL LABELMANAGEMENT you can bring the UFI directly from your SAP ERP to the labeling. For this purpose, OPAL offers not only a solution for labeling, but also for data integrity: With the Content & Alert Manager, CAM for short, you can ensure that only validated data is used by your labeling.
Contact us to discuss implementation on your products.
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