In May the UK government published legislation that, among other changes, amends the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998. For now these apply to England only – but according to Defra the devolved administrations will follow with similar amendments later this year.
Millers will now be able to produce and sell unfortified flour as long as it is exported or used for the manufacturing of products destined for export. Furthermore, with the mutual recognition gone, as of October 1 2022 flour imported in England from any third country (including EU member states) will need to comply with the national Bread and Flour Regulations. To note, it will still be possible to import in England unfortified flour, as long as it’s used for the production of goods destined for export.
It is our understanding that imported, unfortified flour placed on the English market before October 1 2022 can continue to be sold until stocks finish. In terms of flour-based products, if they were made in the UK with imported unfortified flour prior to that date they can still be placed on the market; if freshly baked, they will need to be made with UK-compliant flour.
