Welcome to the Retail, Food & Hospitality Regulatory & EU round-up. Week ending 01 June 2025

This week’s regulatory developments in order of importance, so you can ensure you're up to date with the latest changes impacting your business. 

Retail, Food & Hospitality updates

Single use vapes ban in force from 1^st June:

DEFRA have issued updated and simplified guidance. From 1 June 2025, it is illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes whether or not they contain nicotine. A vape is single-use if it either:

• has a battery you cannot recharge
• is not refillable

To be reuseable, a vape must have a: 

• rechargeable battery
• refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank)
• removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil)

The DEFRA guidance sets out differences in the penalty regimes that apply across the four nations of the UK.

Guidance > News >

Hospitality sector complains of paying twice for glass packaging waste recovery:

UK Hospitality has published details of a letter sent jointly by a number of trade bodies within the hospitality sector to the Prime minister and Chancellor highlighting the potential impact on the sector from implementation of extended producer responsibility requirements for glass bottles of beer and wine. UK Hospitality highlights that DEFRA has classified beer and wine bottles as being domestic waste resulting in the sector potentially paying twice in respect of recovery of the same material. The sector has been critical that it has not received a satisfactory response from DEFRA and has called for a one year delay in implementation for DEFRA to have a rethink. View >

Client Earth publish research on health impacts of diesel nitrous oxide emissions: Client Earth has published a report that it commissioned from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air which explores the health impacts of excess nitrous oxides levels in the air as a result of ‘defeat devices’ illegally fitted to vehicles. The report claims that there have been 124,000 premature deaths and 940 Billion Euro health impacts so far with a predicted further 81,000 premature deaths and 430 Billion health impacts by 2040 if remedial action isn’t taken. View >

EU updates

EU DG Energy launch calls for evidence on energy labelling and eco-design requirements for Refrigeration appliances: The Commission has launched four calls for evidence on the energy labelling and eco-design requirements for both household refrigerators/freezers and refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function. The call for evidence reviews the existing rules on energy labelling to take account of technological improvements since they were previously set and in line with the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), they also look at whether the rules can be extended to include issues such as the lifetime sustainability of the products (including raw materials), durability, reliability, repairability, and recyclability. Responses are required by 22 June. View >

EU Decisions:

Postponing the expiry date of authorisation for biocides: 1R-trans phenothrin > decanoic acid > polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine >

EU Regulations:

Authorising biocidal product ingredients: formic acid > hydrocid 306 > lactic acid teatdip >

European Food Safety Authority:

Publish statement on maximum residue limits for plant protection product propamocarb in lettuce: An appropriate fall-back MRL value of 30 mg/kg was identified by EFSA. EFSA concluded that the short-term and long-term intake of residues of propamocarb in lettuces and of residues in other commodities of food and animal origin is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. View >

Developments to watch

Department for Business and Trade: Name and shame 518 businesses for failure to pay the minimum wage. View >

Office for Product Safety and Standards: Produce poster resources in association with business and third sector bodies to promote button battery safety. View >

Gambling Commission: Publish details of four consultancies it is to work with to understand consumer behaviours around gambling. View >

For your information

Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards > EU Safety Gate > US Consumer Product Safety Commission >

Federation of Small Businesses: Publish report on pathway for small businesses to reaching net zero. View >