Changes to Requirements for Food Product Packaging

November 19, 2025 The Law of Ukraine No. 2718-IX enters into force, “On Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Foodstuffs”.

The purpose of the Law is to protect consumer health, harmonize Ukrainian regulations with EU standards, and create conditions for Ukrainian producers to enter European markets with packaging. The document establishes modern European safety standards for materials that come into contact with food.

The Law extends to a wide range of products — from packaging, tableware, containers, and lids to equipment used in food production.

For the first time at the legislative level, the Law fixes clear requirements for packaging materials: they must not release harmful substances or foreign odors into the products. Safe packaging is not only about preserving food quality but also about protecting citizens’ health.

The main obligations for manufacturers and importers include:

• implementation of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP);
• declaration of compliance of materials with established requirements;
• control of the migration of chemical substances from packaging into products;
• conducting a scientific risk assessment;
• ensuring correct labeling of packaging.

Materials and articles manufactured before November 19, 2025, may remain in circulation until the end of their shelf life.

The transition period will give businesses time for the planned replacement of packaging and the ability to avoid a shortage of packaging materials. Step by step, Ukraine is bringing its standards closer to European ones.

The changes are aimed at enhancing consumer health protection, establishing clear control procedures for material quality, and ensuring stable and predictable conditions for entry into European markets.

We will closely monitor further changes in this area and will report on them in future Legal News.