This article was updated on 30 December 2025. It is written in line with French and European standards, and occasionally touches on aspects specific to other countries. Local adjustments may therefore be needed depending on the jurisdiction.
Since 2021, certain products have had to carry a new element on their labels: the Unique Formula Identifier (UFI), a 16-character code. It must appear on the label of every product classified for health or physical hazards in the European Economic Area (EEA). It allows the composition of a mixture to be identified immediately when someone calls a poison centre. The UFI must be visible, legible and printed on every product that carries a hazard classification.
The good news is that not every product you put on sale will necessarily need to be registered.
What are the rules on candle labels?
French Decree no. 2014-128 of 14 February 2014 on toxicovigilance defines which products must be notified, based on their classification. Manufacturers are legally required to declare certain products to an approved body according to that classification.
In other words, anyone responsible for placing a product on the market is encouraged to make the declaration, so that the INRS (France's occupational health and safety institute) and the CAPTVs (French poison control and toxicovigilance centres) have all the information they need to assess the risk of exposure to a product and to provide medical care in the event of poisoning.
In this case, products are registered with a UFI, or Unique Formula Identifier: a 16-character code that must be printed on the labels of products classified as hazardous and that makes it easy to identify a mixture when someone calls a poison centre. Watch this animation (turn on the subtitles) to find out more.
What needs to be declared, and when?
As we saw in a previous article on CLP labelling, selling candles, wax melts and similar products is regulated. You have to take the classification of your finished product into account and, although the list of hazard categories to declare has kept growing over the years, many of your finished products will not need to be registered after all.
For example, an unscented candle does not need to be registered, because it contains no substances classified as hazardous. For all scented products, whether candles, wax melts, diffusers or anything else, those classified in certain categories must be declared.
This became mandatory on 1 January 2021 for new products, and for existing products that had not already been declared on Synapse.
As soon as the formulation changes, a new UFI and an updated label become mandatory, in particular in the following cases:
- an ingredient is added, removed or replaced;
- percentages vary beyond the permitted tolerances;
- the UFI of a mixture used in your own mixture changes.
Can one UFI cover a product sold in several sizes?
Yes, you can use the same UFI for a product offered in several sizes, but only if certain conditions are met. The formulation must be strictly identical and belong to the same product category. For example, a candle available in 100 mL, 250 mL or 500 mL can keep the same UFI as long as the composition does not change.
However, a single UFI cannot cover several types of product. A candle and a wax melt, even with the same formulation, each need their own UFI. When a poison centre looks up a UFI on a label, it must be able to reach a file that corresponds to one product type and one only.
So which categories need to be declared?
On the whole, your finished products are rarely classified as highly hazardous. You will therefore only be affected if your product is classified as a health hazard, meaning any H statement beginning with 3, or as a physical hazard, meaning any H statement beginning with 2, except H200, H201, H202, H203, H204, H205, H280 and H281.
Note that the EUH208 statement, “Contains… May produce an allergic reaction”, is not a classification, just information. It therefore does not trigger any obligation to declare.
OK, but how do I go about it? And what will it cost?
Good news: submitting your UFI declarations is free for France on ECHA's European platform (PCN). For other countries, please read on to the end of the article.
Here are the key steps to declare your product:
1. Create a company account on the ECHA portal (PCN platform)
2. Enter the details needed to generate your UFI:
- your company's VAT number
- an internal formulation number (a unique code you assign to your mixture)
3. Generate the UFI with the official tool
4. Gather the product's technical information:
- composition of the mixture (ingredients + percentages)
- CLP classification (e.g. irritant, flammable…)
- trade name and manufacturer's name
5. Submit the PCN notification via the ECHA portal.
6. Print the UFI on the label and add it to the SDS.
Once your submission is accepted, your product is registered with the European poison centres. Here is a helpful explainer video.
How do the rules differ from country to country?
In most European countries, the UFI declaration costs nothing. Some countries, however, apply their own conditions, so it is essential to check the specific regulations in your country before you start.
- European Union: notification via the ECHA platform is charged in only three countries, detailed below: Belgium, Italy and Hungary. Everywhere else in the EU, it is free of charge.
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Belgium: the fee of €200 per notification no longer applies. Since 1 January 2026, it depends on the number of mixtures notified in Belgium over the calendar year. The Belgian administration (FPS Public Health) contacts the notifier at the start of the following year and sends an invoice based on the information recorded on the ECHA platform. A mixture whose composition changes enough to require an update counts as a new mixture. Notification remains free of charge for up to 5 mixtures notified in a year. The annual scale:
- 1 to 5 mixtures: €0
- 6 to 20: €500
- 21 to 75: €1,000
- 76 to 100: €2,000
- 101 to 250: €3,000
- 251 to 500: €5,000
- 501 to 1,000: €7,000
- 1,001 to 2,000: €10,000
- Italy: a flat annual fee of €50 per notifier, whatever the number of notifications. Unlike in Belgium, the administration does not contact the company: it is up to the notifier to approach the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS). For a company based outside Italy, payment is made by bank transfer directly to the ISS, with a payment reference that must include the notifier's company name, VAT number and the reference APP 14.8. Renewal is only due once 12 months have passed since the first payment. Source: Preparati Pericolosi
- Ireland: notification is free of charge. Only the use of the Irish poison centre's emergency number, in section 1.4 of the SDS, is charged: €650 excl. VAT per year, or €200 excl. VAT for fewer than 10 products. Source: Poisons.ie
- Hungary: HUF 21,000 per initial notification, roughly €50 to €55 depending on the exchange rate, and HUF 15,600 (around €40) for a new notification following a significant change in composition; updates remain free. Here too, it is up to the notifier to take the first step: the Hungarian administration (NNGYK) sends no payment request, so you pay by bank transfer and then send it proof of payment.
- United Kingdom: no EU UFI; a separate GB CLP system applies.
- Switzerland: UFI mandatory from 1 January 2026, with a grace period for products already on the market before that date (extension to plant protection products planned for 2027).
If you cannot find the information you need, we recommend contacting the poison centre in your country.
Making and selling candles with simplified CLP labelling: what are your options?
Depending on the composition and the fragrance load, some candles can qualify for lighter CLP labelling while remaining fully compliant. This does not mean having no CLP label at all, but rather simplified labelling, when the concentration of hazardous substances does not trigger any classification requiring H statements. Terre de Bougies offers several solutions for makers who want to keep their production compliant while reducing the regulatory burden.
It is worth remembering that, even when no CLP classification is required, a candle must always carry the mandatory information: product name, contact details of the person responsible for placing it on the market, net weight or volume, and any specific statement such as EUH208 when a declarable allergen is present.
Making candles without a UFI: when is it possible?
In some cases, no UFI declaration is needed. With this in mind, Terre de Bougies offers a selection of more than 300 fragrances that can be used at up to 7% or 10% with no UFI requirement, as long as your formulation does not reach a threshold that triggers a CLP classification with hazard statements.
The collection brings together two ranges:
- fragrances usable without a UFI at up to 7%
- fragrances usable without a UFI at up to 10%
These fragrances blend natural and synthetic ingredients, are vegan and not tested on animals, and let you create compliant candles when used as recommended. As long as no classification with H statements is triggered, no UFI is required. CLP labelling then stays simplified, limited to what the regulation requires (product name, contact details, net weight, and EUH208 where applicable).
Keep CLP labelling to a minimum and avoid the UFI with the Boost range
For even lighter CLP labelling, the Boost range, used at 1%, is the ideal solution. At this concentration, the fragrances trigger neither a CLP classification nor a UFI requirement, which makes selling your candles much easier.
This does not mean no label is needed, but that the label is limited to the general mandatory information: product name, manufacturer's contact details, net weight and, where relevant, the EUH208 statement if an allergen is present in the formula. The range consists of 16 fragrances:
The safety data sheet (SDS) may sometimes list precautionary statements such as P101 (if medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand) or P103 (read carefully and follow all instructions), but these remain optional. We do, however, strongly recommend including precautionary statement P102 (keep out of reach of children) where applicable, even though it is optional.
Your questions answered
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Where should I put my UFI, and how?
Your code must be visible, legible and indelible, and preceded by the letters UFI. No specific position is required, but it is usual to place it close to the CLP elements, such as the pictograms and H/P statements, or next to the barcode to make it easier to find. If the packaging is too small or irregularly shaped, the UFI can be given on fold-out labels, tie-on tags or the outer packaging, always together with the other mandatory labelling elements.
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Does the UFI assigned to a fragrance as a MiM (Mixture in Mixture) automatically cover my formulation?
When a perfumer supplies a UFI for their mixture, the candle maker can use it in their own PCN notification under the Mixture in Mixture principle. However, that UFI is specific to each company, since the company's identity is built into it, and it must never appear on the label of the finished product. The candle you sell must have its own identifier, generated by the manufacturer on the basis of its overall composition.
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Do I need a new UFI if the fragrance is changed or additives are added?
Each UFI corresponds to one specific formulation. A new identifier must be created before the product is placed on the market whenever the composition changes, with rare exceptions such as adding a dye that does not affect the classification. Any change to the fragrance or any additional classified component should therefore appear on the SDS. For example, a UV stabiliser changes the final mixture and so requires a new UFI.
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Does the same fragrance used at different loads in two candle ranges need two UFIs?
Yes. A candle scented at 10% and the same fragrance used at 12% result in two distinct mixtures, because the percentages of the ingredients differ. Since these compositions can lead to different CLP classifications, each one needs its own PCN notification and its own dedicated UFI.
Want to go further? We are here to help
Legal obligations are our speciality and we keep a close eye on them; our team is always on hand to guide you through these procedures. We offer a 90-minute training session so you can learn to make your own UFI declarations. If you are short of time, we also have a service that can submit your declaration to the poison centre for you.
You can also read our article on the complex regulations surrounding wax melts that look like food.
Conclusion
The UFI is all about safety and a fast response in the event of exposure, as it lets poison centres identify a mixture immediately. In practice, the challenge is to work out whether your finished product is actually classified, to keep your formulation stable and to update your label as soon as the composition changes. With the right methods, and by choosing solutions that suit your goals, you can stay compliant while keeping your labelling as simple as possible. To dig deeper, take a look at our guide to AFNOR labelling, an essential step we strongly recommend putting in place.
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