Unique Formula identifier

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The Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) or Unique Formula Identifier is a 16-digit alphanumeric code that will be required on labels of products containing a hazardous mixture from 2025. The introduction will take place by amending the CLP Regulation (Annex VIII) to 2020.

In the UFI the VAT number of the company or a company number and a wording number from 0 to 268.435.455 (2^28-1). This ensures that the UFI is only used once in the economic area.
Example of a UFI on the label: UFI: R3NN-3KVT-2XSG-W43J

In addition to the UFI information on their labels, companies must also share information about their mixture and related products with poison information centres. The information shall include details such as trade name, composition, colour, packaging, product category and toxicological information. The transmission takes place exclusively electronically via the PCN (Poison Center Notification). The aim of the UFI is to establish a clear link between the information provided to the poison control centre and the product placed on the market.

The condition for assigning a UFI is that all products labelled and reported with the same UFI must have the same mixture composition.

The UFI and the other information provided by the companies are used by poison information centers in case of an emergency call. The UFI can be read directly from the label of a product and communicated to an employee of a poison emergency call center in addition to the trade name to accurately identify the product involved in an incident. This should enable better and more appropriate medical care and a reduction in unnecessary overtreatments, which are often only provided for safety.

A UFI can be generated on the website of the European Chemicals Agency or for Switzerland on the website of the Notification Authority Chemicals.
For software developers, the algorithm is freely available.

Structure and specificities
From the data, a 74-bit number is created.
The first 28 bits represent the wording number, followed by 4 bits for the country group and then the coding for the country and the VAT number in binary form; VAT numbers with letters (such as Cyprus, Spain, France or Great Britain) are converted separately.

This binary number is converted into a 15-digit base 31 number (274 has the same order of magnitude as 3115, namely 1022). The first 12 digits are exchanged according to a scheme and then a leading check digit is calculated so that the above-mentioned 16 characters result in total.

Base 31 is derived from numbers 0–9 and letters A–Y, with the following five letters: