Dairy cows
Keeping cattle for dairy production carries additional responsibilities beyond general cattle-keeping. Even at small scale, producers must ensure milk is produced hygienically and in line with applicable food safety and animal health requirements.
Updated 7 June 2026
Packaging and labelling
Packaging
You must only package dairy products in materials which are approved for contact with food. Read the legislation on packaging materials.
You will also need commercial scales to weigh your produce and comply with legal rules around packing and weight of the produce.
Labelling
To sell dairy products, you must comply with labelling regulations ensuring that customers are being given correct information and the product can be tracked through the supply chain.
Labelling requirements depend on how the dairy product is packaged and who you sell it to.
Read about additional labelling requirements for frozen products e.g., ice cream
If you are selling directly to customers, you must label it with:
- Ingredients list including allergenic ingredients in bold
If you are making other products combining your dairy products with additional ingredients, you will also need a quantitative ingredient declaration (QUID)
Read guide on labelling pre-packaged food for direct sale by FSS.