Business Advice

Asbestos in Consumer Products

On the 13 May 2026 the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) announced that it is aware of consumer products available in the UK containing sand contaminated with asbestos. 

These products have been recalled by the businesses that have sold them, and OPSS also expects any further asbestos-contaminated products to be recalled. 

To ensure their safe disposal, consumers and businesses should follow the advice at GOV.UK.

Knife Crime and Knife Sales Legislation

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on the 29 April 2026. 

Strengthened age verification for knives and crossbows: At the point of purchase, online sellers of knives and crossbows will now be required to check a photographic identity document (passport or UK driving licence), alongside a current photograph of the buyer to confirm they are the document holder. At the point of delivery, couriers must check the photographic identification of the person receiving the package to confirm they are aged 18 or over and are the buyer. 

The Act also introduces a two-step age and identity verification process for the online purchase, letting (hire), and delivery of crossbows or crossbow parts. Operators of collection points will be required to carry out the same enhanced age verification checks before handing over knives, or in the case of crossbows or crossbow parts, to the buyer or hirer. These measures also bring crossbow deliveries into line with knife deliveries by preventing crossbows or crossbow parts from being delivered to lockers, left on doorsteps, or delivered to neighbours or other household members.

Bulk purchasing: Retailers will be required to report to police where quantities of knives are purchased that suggest stockpiling for criminal rather than legitimate purposes.

Further information can be accessed at GOV.UK.

Government announcement on energy drinks

The Government plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

This is because these drinks can affect children’s:

• physical and mental health
• sleep quality
• learning outcomes

Parents and teachers support this change. It is part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

You can read more on the GOV UK website.

Sale of Disposable Vapes Banned 

The sale of disposable vapes are now banned in England.

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 SI 2024 No. 1216 are now enacted. 

It is now illegal for businesses to sell, offer to sell or have in their possession for sale all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. This applies to:

• sales online and in shops
• all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine 

If a vape is reusable, you’ll still be able sell it. 

To access our Enforcement guidance on the new legislation go to Guidance (pdf 317kb)  

For the national guidance go to: Gov.uk 

The Product Safety and Metrology Act 2025

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 enables the UK’s wide and technical product regulation framework to be kept up to date. Its new powers will be applied by the Government to address modern safety issues and technological developments, harness opportunities to create economic growth, and ensure a level playing field between the high street and online marketplaces.

For further information go to Gov.uk

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025 SI. 2025. No 531.

The Regulations amend the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and come into force on the 30 October 2025.

Regulation 3 amends the definition of “furniture” in the 1988 Regulations to omit certain types of products intended for babies and young children.

Regulation 4 amends the 1988 Regulations to remove provisions which put in place a requirement for a display label, both at the initial point of sale and in the second-hand market.

Regulation 5 inserts regulation 16 into the 1988 Regulations, which extends the time limit for instituting legal proceedings arising from an offence against the 1988 Regulations from six months to twelve months.

For further detail go to Gov.uk

The UK's new product safety framework

On the 31 March 2026 the Government published a new consultation entitled "The UK's new Product safety framework". This consultation seeks views on a package of reforms of the product safety framework including updated duties on businesses in the supply chain. The Department has issued a companion consultation document on the enforcement and market surveillance aspects of the framework, and they should be read together. 

Respond by: 23:59pm on 23 June 2026

Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Avian Flu 

Due to the reduction of the avian influenza risk to poultry and captive birds, plans have been announced to lift the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone housing measures in England and Wales at 00:01 on Thursday 09 April 2026. 

The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) requiring mandatory biosecurity measures will remain in place across GB.

Please make sure you follow the enhanced mandatory biosecurity guidance as the risk of avian influenza continues. More information is available on GOV.UK. 

If you intend to allow your birds outside after the 09 April 2026, you must take action now to prepare outside areas, please check the info available on GOV.UK.

As birds have been housed for several months, it may be necessary for them to be acclimatised and their release carefully managed to minimise welfare issues. Keepers with any welfare concerns about their birds should speak to their vet. 

If you fall within a Protection or Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone, you are still required to house your birds. Please check the disease control zones on our avian influenza interactive map to see what restrictions are in place.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

The Act paves the way to give consumers rights across the UK, with greater control and clarity over online purchases.

It does this by requiring businesses to provide clearer information to consumers before they enter a subscription contract, remind consumers that their free trial or low-cost trial is coming to an end, and ensure consumers can easily exit a contract.

Unavoidable hidden fees will also need to be included in the initial cost or clearly illustrated at the start of the purchasing journey. This will ensure consumers are clear from the offset about what they’re spending.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act will also give new tools to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address the challenges to competition in digital markets.

These tools will allow the competition regulator to set tailored ‘conduct requirements’ which require a powerful tech company to change the way it operates if it is not treating users fairly. These rules could give consumers the room to freely choose the services they use, or stop companies from withholding information consumers need to make good decisions.  

The Act also gives the regulator powers to intervene and direct a firm to change its behaviour to boost competition – whether that is to benefit people using smartphones or businesses dependent on cloud services.  

The Act will also give new powers to the CMA to closely monitor road fuel prices and report any sign of malpractice to the government.

Only a handful of the most powerful global technology companies will be subject to these new rules if, following an investigation, they are deemed to hold ‘strategic market status’.  

If companies fail to comply with decisions made by the CMA, they could be subject to fines reaching tens of billions of pounds. These fines and other measures will be balanced by rigorous checks and balances.

CMA published its approach to direct consumer protection,

The full document can be found at  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-cmas-approach-to-direct-consumer-protection

The Approach

CMA plan to take to applying the new consumer protection regime under the DMCC Act in the first year. They will
• target clear infringements and conduct which is more harmful to consumers
• prioritise areas of essential spend for consumers
• carry out engagement and develop further accessible materials to help businesses
Early action will be focussed on more egregious practices where the law is clear, including:
• aggressive sales practices that prey on consumers in vulnerable positions;
• providing information to consumers that is objectively false (banned practices including those relating to fake reviews;
• fees that are hidden until late in the purchase process
• contract terms that are clearly imbalanced and unfair (including unfair exit charges)
Fake reviews
Guidance explains in more detail what is required. New provisions may require changes to systems. For the first 3 months, the focus will be on business support.
Drip pricing and section 230 of the DMCC Act:
Following consultation on guidance, CMA is taking a phased approach to the guidance.
In the Unfair Commercial Practices guidance, there is  a clear framework for complying with the parts of the law which are already clear and largely unchanged (e.g. The prohibition of unexpected and untrailed mandatory charges added on at the end of a purchasing journey).  CMA may take enforcement action on this type of drip pricing over the coming year.
However, for those aspects of the drip pricing guidance that have created more uncertainty (including fixed-term periodic contracts) there will be a further consultation and finalised guidance in the autumn. There will not be enforcement action on these aspects until after this.

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026

The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 is now enacted. 

The Act introduces a comprehensive package of measures to protect public health and tackle the proliferation of harmful and non-compliant products. Key provisions include: 

• a progressive generational ban on tobacco sales, preventing anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever legally purchasing tobacco products in the UK
• stricter regulation of vapes and nicotine products, including restrictions on flavours, packaging, and nicotine content designed to reduce their appeal to children and young people
• extension of legislation to cover novel and emerging nicotine products, closing loopholes that have allowed non-compliant products to proliferate in the market
• strengthened enforcement powers for Trading Standards officers, providing the tools needed to take effective action against retailers selling non-compliant or illicit products

Organic Claims for Foods

The Organic Products Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No 842. require that businesses must be certified by an approved UK organic control body if they produce, prepare, store, import, export or sell organic products in the UK.

They can only label products as ‘organic’, or use terms relating to organic production methods, if:

• it meets organic production rules
• at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic
• all other ingredients, additives and processing aids are listed as permitted within the organic regulations
  the product,
• its labels and any suppliers are certified by an approved UK organic control body
  Contact your control body for guidance on organic production rules.

Other terms relating to organic methods include:

• ‘organically grown’
• ‘organically produced’
• ‘grown or produced using organic principles’
• ‘grown or produced using organic methods’

The rules also apply to company names or brand names. For example, you could not use the name ‘Smith’s Organic’ for a non-organic product or business. For further information on the requirements go to Gov.uk or Business Companion

Environmental Claims 

To access guidance on the legality of environmental claims go to the CMA 

Food Safety Ratings

Businesses have a general duty not to undertake unfair trading practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No.1277) (CPRs).

The CPRs aid in determining whether certain advertising and marketing practices are misleading, aggressive or lack due diligence.

In addition to this general duty, there are 31 business practices that are banned outright, such as displaying a quality mark without authorisation.

The aim of the CPRs is to provide a framework for determining whether certain practices are misleading, aggressive or lack due diligence on the basis that they would alter the behaviour of the average customer. In other words, if it can be determined that the customer made a purchase that they otherwise would not have done if they knew the full facts of the matter, then the business has engaged in unfair practices.

This covers engaging in misleading practices such as making false or deceptive statements in marketing material, or omitting important information that would have a bearing on the customer’s purchasing decision. For complete clarity this includes the display of a a false and outdated food safety rating. 

To see a related press item go to BBC News. 

Safety Alert: Water Beads

On the 20 September 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risks that water beads can pose to children and vulnerable adults. This follows action taken by OPSS to remove unsafe products from the market.

The Safety Alert advises that water beads should be kept away from young children, under 5 years of age, and only used with older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.

Water beads are beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid. They are marketed for various purposes, including for use as toys, in crafting, as home decor or in floristry. They are sold under a variety of names including, but not limited to, jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads or water crystals.

When swallowed, water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage which can then require surgery. The beads can also cause choking and have harmed children in the UK, with reports linking them to deaths overseas. Water beads can be difficult to detect and do not show up in x-ray.

Read the Safety Alert for water beads.

Read Product Safety Reports for specific water bead products where action has been taken.

E-Bikes and E-Scooters Fire Safety Advice

E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular. Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in the home. The use of these batteries in a wide range of household products is becoming increasingly common.

It is important when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your families and homes at risk.

With an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, comes a corresponding fire safety concern associated with their charging and storage. The use of these products is expected to continue to rise. Some fire services and fire investigators have seen a rise in e-bike and e-scooter battery fires.

Currently there is limited data relating to the number of fires, but London Fire Brigade reported 8 fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters in 2019. This rose to twenty-four in 2020 and fifty-nine by December 2021.

On occasions batteries can fail catastrophically, they can ‘explode’ and/or lead to a rapidly developing fire. For media stories go to: BBC News and Sky News of the 27 July 2023 and the Chronicle of the 31 July 2023. 

For further information go to NFCC and to  access the OPSS safety poster (pdf 203 kb).  

Pricing Survey

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now reviewed the way a range of grocery retailers displayed their prices in-store to assess whether they were clear, accurate and matched the price people were charged at the till.

The review looked at the price marking practices of 139 grocery stores in England and Wales, including supermarket chains, symbol convenience stores (small, independent retailers that operate under a symbol brand name), variety stores and independent food stores.

The CMA conducted on-site inspections and looked at a sample of products – such as fresh fruit and vegetables and products on promotion. During inspections at some stores, the CMA found examples where the retailer was displaying inaccurate prices or failed to display prices at all for certain products. Failing to provide clear and accurate pricing information for products on sale is a breach of consumer law.

Overall, the majority of issues were found at independent food stores and symbol convenience stores. The most common types of issues seen were missing prices, conflicting prices (instances where prices indicated on products conflicted with those shown on shelf edge labels) and prices not being displayed sufficiently close to products.

There were also issues with prices not being clearly legible, the selling price being obscured, and multibuy promotion labels that didn’t specify the price of the items individually.

The percentage of pricing errors found at each type of store were:

Supermarkets: 4.2%
Symbol convenience stores: 14.4%
Variety stores: 5.6%
Independent food stores: 7.8%
Overall, 60% of the errors resulted in a higher price being charged at the till. Further breakdowns by store type can be found in the report. For further detail go to CMA. To access a Poster (pdf 2.6 mb)

EU Exit

Updated guidance on the latest changes can be found on Gov.uk   

Illegal Activity

The job of the Trading Standards Service is to protect consumers and legitimate businesses in Newcastle upon Tyne. To do this we enforce government legislation, provide advice for businesses, deal with thousands of consumer complaints and business enquiries every year and investigate and prosecute offenders.

To report someone you suspect of selling illegal goods please:

• report illegal commercial activity online

We have over 8,000 business premises in Newcastle and these include farms, importers, multinational chains and independent start-ups. Before you get started on a new venture, or if you just want to make sure you're doing the right thing, Trading Standards can advise you on the legal requirements of compliance.

Guidance for businesses can be found at Business Companion which offers information on basics of the law, through to in-depth assistance. If you have a specific query, please contact us directly. 

Dealers in second-hand goods within Newcastle must register with the authority under the City of Newcastle upon Tyne Act 2000.

For more information on the work we do, please see our Business Service Plan page. 

Contact

Trading Standards service, Directorate of Housing and Communities, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH. Email: tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk