Wales has removed the 12-week limit on using the ‘free-range’ label for poultrymeat during government housing measures. The Free-Range Poultrymeat Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (WSI 2025/1122) were made on 22 October 2025 and come into force on 21 November 2025. The instrument applies in relation to Wales only.
Practically, the Regulations amend Annex 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 543/2008 on poultrymeat marketing standards. The previous text allowed free‑range claims for up to 12 weeks where disease controls restricted access to open‑air runs; Wales now disapplies that time limit so compliant poultrymeat may continue to be marketed as free‑range for the full duration of any such restrictions.
Welsh Ministers acted under sections 34(1) and 50(3) of the Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, with the draft subject to Senedd approval under the affirmative procedure and preceded by consultation in line with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law. Plenary consideration took place on 21 October 2025.
The change aligns poultrymeat rules with Wales’s earlier decision on eggs. In February 2025, the Free‑Range Egg Marketing Standards (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 removed the 16‑week cap for free‑range eggs during housing orders. Supply chains handling both eggs and meat now face a consistent approach in Wales.
For producers, the key point is continuity of labelling during any mandatory housing period ordered for animal or public health reasons (for example, during avian influenza outbreaks). All other free‑range production criteria in Annex 5 continue to apply; the change matters most for longer production cycles such as turkeys, geese and ducks.
Retailers and processors operating across Great Britain should note wider UK movements. England has introduced a parallel amendment removing the 12‑week cap, and Scotland has progressed its own instrument through committee. Cross‑border labelling is therefore converging.
Consumer information requirements are unchanged. Marketing standards govern descriptions such as ‘free‑range’ and sit alongside, not instead of, food safety and hygiene rules. The Welsh Government has highlighted the need for clear, accurate labels while avoiding unnecessary relabelling during housing measures.
Immediate actions for compliance teams are straightforward: confirm that existing free‑range labels can remain in use in Wales beyond week 12 of any housing order; maintain records required under the marketing standards regime; and ensure all non‑time‑related free‑range conditions continue to be met. The Regulations take effect on 21 November 2025.