(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Ukraine will restore full food and feed labelling requirements from 1 October 2026, ending temporary exemptions introduced during the early months of the full scale war. The Ministry of Economy and Environment confirmed the change, stating the market has now adapted and supply chains have stabilised.
The Cabinet of Ministers cancelled the simplified rules previously set out in government resolutions No.186 and No.234 from 2022. Those measures had allowed producers and importers to operate with relaxed labelling standards when logistics routes were blocked, raw materials were scarce, and many businesses had halted operations. From the October 2026 deadline, full compliance with the laws “On Consumer Information on Food Products” and “On Feed Safety and Hygiene” will be required.
The temporary easing of requirements from spring 2022 permitted companies to adjust product recipes because of ingredient shortages without immediately updating packaging. It also allowed goods to be imported into Ukraine with foreign language labelling and permitted relocated enterprises to use leftover packaging materials from other manufacturers.
Once standard rules return, labels must fully match the actual contents of a product, covering recipe details, nutritional value and allergens. The sale of imported food products and feed with labelling that does not meet Ukrainian legislation will no longer be permitted. Products already labelled under the simplified rules may remain on sale until their expiry date or minimum storage period ends.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment Denys Bashlyk said the temporary simplifications in 2022 had been necessary to prevent product shortages, support producers and maintain uninterrupted supplies amid destroyed logistics and raw material shortages. Bashlyk added that consumers should receive accurate information in the Ukrainian language about the composition, properties and safety of products.
The ministry noted that the return to full requirements will also support Ukraine’s commitments under the Association Agreement with the European Union, strengthen consumer rights protection and increase market transparency.
In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No.4921-IX “On State Regulation of Organic Production, Circulation and Labelling of Organic Products”, which updates the rules for the organic market in line with European requirements.