How to prepare detergent labels for GB imports
Start with the finished formulation, map ingredients to the detergent categories, check fragrance allergens, and prepare responsible-party contacts and ingredient documents before approving artwork. Use the professional-use exception only where equivalent information is supplied. Coordinate the factory information with Cambridge China Bridge.
Get a formulation that supports the label
Ask the factory for the finished-product formulation, ingredient identities, concentrations by weight and the composition of bought-in fragrance blends. Match these to the exact product and scent you are ordering. A fragrance trade name alone does not give your reviewer enough information to assess named allergens.
Keep a worksheet connecting each ingredient to the proposed label wording and supporting supplier document. Our guide to importing cleaning products covers REACH and biocidal claims; use it alongside this formulation-to-label check.
Map categories before choosing percentage bands
HSE says the specified ingredient categories must be declared above 0.2% by weight, rather than printing the precise formulation. Examples include surfactant types, phosphates and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The bands are less than 5%; 5% or over but less than 15%; 15% or over but less than 30%; and 30% and more. Ask your reviewer to map the complete formulation against the specified categories and total each applicable category.
Enzymes, disinfectants, optical brighteners, perfumes and preservation agents must be stated at any concentration. Give these a separate check rather than applying the category threshold to everything. Keep the calculation worksheet with the approved formula so a substitution triggers a fresh review.
Check fragrance allergens in the finished product
Adding perfume requires a generic perfume declaration. Specified allergenic fragrances also need naming when present above 0.01% by weight, or an applicable replacement limit. These are separate checks: writing 'perfumes' does not replace the allergen assessment.
Ask the fragrance supplier for an allergen breakdown and have your reviewer calculate each relevant allergen's concentration in the finished detergent. Check against the list and limits applicable in GB. Repeat the assessment when the fragrance blend or its dosage changes, even if the scent name stays the same.
Prepare contacts and ingredient documents together
For products sold to the general public, include the detergent name and trade name; the name, full address and telephone number of the party responsible for placing it on the GB market; the address, available email address and telephone number for obtaining the medical ingredient data sheet; and the consumer ingredient-list website address. Required label information must be in English, although other languages may appear alongside it.
Prepare the complete ingredient data sheet for medical personnel and the less detailed public website version as separate documents. The public version must be freely accessible, but the website need not be your own. Test the printed website address and the contact route before approval. Use checking product labels before printing for the wider packaging review.
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Document any professional-use exception
HSE allows the described detergent labelling and packaging requirements to be met through equivalent information in a technical data sheet, SDS or similar documentation for detergents intended solely for professional industrial or institutional use. It also allows equivalent ingredient-sheet information through that route. The product must be specific to use outside the domestic sphere by specialised personnel; selling a domestic detergent in bulk to a business does not qualify.
Record the intended users, sales channels, document contents and delivery method before relying on the exception. A document headed SDS is not enough without the equivalent information. Hazardous detergents still require GB hazard labelling and packaging. Keep the formula, assessment, artwork and supplied documents together using our guide to building a product compliance file.
Frequently asked questions
Must I print the full detergent formula on the label?
No. HSE describes category declarations and percentage bands rather than the precise formulation. Separate declarations still apply to specified ingredients and fragrance allergens.
Is writing 'perfumes' enough for fragrance allergens?
No. Generic perfume disclosure and naming specified allergens are separate checks. Assess relevant allergens in the finished detergent against the applicable GB threshold.
Whose contact details go on an imported detergent?
For public-sale products, identify the party responsible for placing the detergent on the GB market with its full address and telephone number. Include the medical data-sheet contact route and consumer ingredient website.
Can an SDS replace labels for bulk detergent?
Bulk supply alone does not qualify. HSE's exception concerns solely professional industrial or institutional products with equivalent information supplied. Hazardous-product labelling and packaging duties still apply.