Overview

• Domestic officials in Northern Ireland stopped and searched supermarket lorries last week, confiscating custard that lacked the required “not for sale in the EU” labels under the Windsor Framework’s latest phase.
• The final labelling phase, which began on July 1, extended mandatory stickers to eggs, fish, fruit, vegetables and composite products to prevent unregulated goods entering the Republic of Ireland.
• DUP MP Sammy Wilson condemned the raids as “barmy EU red tape,” warning that delayed deliveries have led to shortages of staple items in some Northern Irish shops.
• A UK Government spokesman insisted all inspections were conducted by UK officials and denied any ban on custard, noting that the product remains widely available on shelves.
• Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin labelled the extended regime “bureaucratic madness” and called for a new agrifood deal to reduce post-Brexit trade friction.