As Requad Holding B.V. , we provide consultancy services to register your UFI (Unique Formula Identifier)
The UFI and other information you provide will be used by the Poison Centers in case of an emergency.
About UFI;
Creating a “Unique Formula Identifier” Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) and printing or pasting it on the product label is an industry imperative. To create an UFI, you will need your company's tax number or, in certain cases, company ID and a formulation number specific to the mix. Entering this information into the UFI Generator will generate your unique UFI code. This tool allows UFIs to be created individually or in batches and is available in all EU languages.
From 2021 in the EU, certain product labels will require a new label element, which is a 16-character code called the unique formula identifier (UFI). By 2025, UFI will become mandatory on the labels of all products classified in terms of health or physical hazards. Importers and downstream users placing such products on the market will have to provide certain product information, including UFI, for the use of poison centers. Tools and support for creating the UFI are available on ECHA's Poison Centers website.
WHAT IS UFI?
The unique formula identifier, known by the abbreviation UFI, is a code that will be required on the label of your products containing a hazardous mixture. In addition to the UFI, you must provide other information about your mixture and related products for use by venom centers, such as composition, trade name, color, packaging, product category and toxicological information. UFI aims to establish a clear link between the product you place on the market and the information you provide. The condition for assigning a UFI is that all products labeled and reported with the same UFI must share the same blend composition.
HOW TO USE THE UFI CODE?
The UFI and other information you provide will be used by the Poison Centers in case of an emergency. For example, UFI can read the UFI code on a product's label directly to a poison center operator in addition to the trade name to precisely identify the product involved in an incident.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CREATE A UFI CODE?
For your mix, you need the Tax number of your Point of Sale in the EU (or "company key" in certain cases) and a mix specific formulation number to create an UFI. Entering these two numbers into ECHA's UFI Generator online tool will provide you with your UFI code. The TAX number is an important element to ensure that your UFI is unique so that there is no conflict between UFIs generated by your different POIs. Most likely your company is already using formulation codes for the company. If they're numeric only - between 0 and 268 435 255 - you can use them directly in the UFI Generator. In other cases, such as they are alphanumeric or contain other characters, you will first need to assign new formulation numbers to your mixes following the required format.
You can find the UFI Generator and user manual in 23 different EU languages on ECHA's Poison Centers website.
IS THE UFI CODE A CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS?
It is not possible to decode information on the composition of the mixture from the UFI. Only venom centers will know which mixture composition corresponds to the UFI. This way, UFI protects your confidential business information.
HOW IS UFI CODE USED IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN?
A marketed blend usually consists of a blend in the blend - in other words, it is made by mixing two or more blends according to the specifications of the manufacturer making the formula. Given that it is not possible to decode confidential information about a mixture composition from UFI, the UFI can be used safely in the supply chain.
WHEN DO YOU NEED A NEW UFI CODE?
* As long as the mix composition remains the same, the UFI code can remain the same.
* When other changes occur to the product (such as new packaging or a new trade name).
A new UFI needs to be created and printed or pasted on the label only when a change in mix composition occurs
CAN YOU USE ONE UFI FOR MORE THAN ONE PRODUCT, OR DO YOU NEED MULTIPLE UFI CODES FOR ONE PRODUCT?
As long as the mixture composition in the product is the same, you can use the same UFI on the labels of your products in all EEA countries, or you can use the same UFI on the labels of products marketed with different trade names in the same country. For data management or business reasons, you can choose to assign multiple UFIs to the same mix. In this case, each product will have its own UFI even if it contains the same mixture. Whichever approach you choose, it is essential that you report the correct UFI to poison centers in each relevant market area so that emergency healthcare professionals can clearly identify the product.
CAN YOU USE UFI CODE FOR ANY MIXTURE?
You may find it helpful to assign a UFI to a mixture that is not classified for human health or physical hazards, or to mixtures that are only classified as hazardous to the environment.
Voluntarily adding UFI to the label of end products containing such mixtures allows healthcare professionals to provide more informed advice, as they know about any product transmitted in a poison center call.
UFI can also be used to protect your confidential business information while communicating about unclassified mixtures in the supply chain. In such cases, the inclusion of the UFI on the label is optional, but must be provided to venom centers so that they can make the link between the mixture.
IS THE UFI CODE ALWAYS INCLUDED ON THE LABEL?
The UFI must be printed or affixed to the label of all your products containing hazardous mixtures. It is also possible to indicate the UFI on the packaging of the product, provided it is close to other label elements. If the mixture is not packaged; The UFI should be included in section 1.1 of the safety data sheet.
WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR AN UFI CODE?
The abbreviation "UFI" (same in all EU languages and alphabets and should not be translated) must be uppercase followed by a colon followed by a 16 character alphanumeric code. The code is divided into four blocks, each separated by a hyphen.
For example:
UFI: N1QV-R02N-J00M-WQD5
Although no specific requirement has been set for the font or size, the UFI must be clearly visible and readable on the product label. Given the differences in label sizes and other labeling requirements competing for the label space, the UFI should be positioned to be easy to find (for example, near barcodes or hazard pictograms). As a result, you must determine how to display the UFI in the product most effectively to help it communicate with venom centers.
WHEN SHOULD THE UFI CODE BE ON LABEL?
In all cases, the timing for inclusion of the UFI on the product's label should coincide with the submission of the harmonized information. If the UFI is not included in a valid notification to the Member State concerned, it is not recommended to place the UFI on the label of the product. In such cases, an "empty UFI" will not provide any assistance to poison centers in an emergency.
January 1, 2021 (consumer or professional use),
January 1, 2024 (industrial use)
Your mixture for industrial use; Note that if it is reformulated further down the supply chain and results in a consumer use product, you will need to comply with the earliest date of availability for consumer / professional use.
