Class 29: Meat, Dairy & Preserved Foods
Class 29 covers foods of animal origin and prepared or preserved produce: meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt, edible oils, jams, soups, crisps, nuts, and the plant-based alternatives to meat and milk. It’s the 25th most used of the 45, with 17,901 UK registrations between September 2021 and September 2026, which is about 45% fewer registrations than the average class. The class is quieter than most, but food brands are often crowded within it, so a clearance search still matters.
What class 29 covers
This is the official Nice heading, in full:
Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts for culinary purposes; preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits, vegetables and seaweeds; jellies, jams, compotes; eggs; milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt and other milk products; oils and fats for food.
The easiest way to think about it is the chilled and preserved aisles of a supermarket. Meat, fish and eggs. Dairy, including milk substitutes such as oat, almond and soya milk. Fruit and vegetables once they’ve been frozen, dried, cooked or pickled. And spreads, oils, soups, crisps, hummus and ready meals where meat, fish or vegetables are the main ingredient.
The mistake I see most often
The mistake is filing around one hero product and forgetting the rest of the range. Food brands grow sideways, and the next product is often in a different class.
Take a dairy that starts with cheese and butter, then adds ice cream, a fruit smoothie and a farm café. The cheese and butter are class 29. The ice cream is class 30, the smoothie is class 32, and the café is class 43. File only class 29 and the name is protected on the original range, but not on the products that are growing fastest.
The practical fix is to list what you sell now and what you’ll realistically sell next, and check each one. A UK application can’t have classes added later, so it’s worth getting the list right at the start.
When you definitely need class 29
- You sell meat, sausages, poultry or fish, or meat substitutes
- You make cheese, butter, yoghurt or other dairy products
- You sell oat milk, almond milk or other plant-based milk
- You make jams, pickles, soups, hummus or peanut butter
- You sell crisps, prepared nuts or dried fruit snacks
- You produce olive oil, cooking oil or other edible oils and fats
When you might need class 29 without realising
Plenty of food brands assume they belong in class 30, the general food class, and miss this one.
- Plant-based and vegan brands. Meat and milk substitutes are class 29, not a class of their own. Meat substitutes appear on 906 registrations, milk substitutes on 823 and oat milk on 601. Tofu is class 29 too.
- Snack brands. Potato crisps are class 29, on 1,105 registrations, and so are prepared nuts (767) and dried fruit snacks. Tortilla chips are class 30, so a snack range often needs both.
- Ready meal and meal-prep businesses. Prepared meals where meat, fish or vegetables predominate are class 29. Pasta or rice-based meals are class 30.
- Delis, farm shops and cafés with their own range. Branded jams, pickles and cheeses sold at the counter are class 29 goods, even if the business itself is a shop or café.
Not sure whether your product is class 29 or class 30? The free class tools below show you where businesses like yours actually file, or you can give us a call.
What businesses actually claim in class 29
These are the terms that turn up most often in recent UK class 29 registrations:
| Term | Marks using it | Share of class 29 | How common |
|---|---|---|---|
| meat extracts | 3,640 | 20.3% | Most use this |
| eggs | 3,256 | 18.2% | Most use this |
| edible oils and fats | 2,878 | 16.1% | Most use this |
| meat, fish, poultry and game | 2,621 | 14.6% | Most use this |
| jellies, jams, compotes | 2,275 | 12.7% | Most use this |
| preserved, frozen, dried and cooked fruits and vegetables | 2,142 | 12.0% | Recommended |
| meat | 2,099 | 11.7% | Recommended |
| cheese | 1,968 | 11.0% | Recommended |
| soups | 1,796 | 10.0% | Recommended |
| milk | 1,714 | 9.6% | Recommended |
The top of the table is the official heading, broken into pieces. Meat extracts lead on 3,640 registrations, followed by eggs (3,256), edible oils and fats (2,878) and meat, fish, poultry and game. These are broad terms, and many applicants copy them straight from the heading to cover the whole class.
Specific products follow, such as cheese on 1,968 registrations and soups on 1,796. Broad terms give breadth, but if a dispute ever turns on what you actually sell, a specification that names your products, such as peanut butter (739) or hummus, is easier to rely on.
What class 29 does not cover
Bakery, sauces, sweets and grain-based foods are class 30. Bread, cakes, pasta, rice, sauces, honey, ice cream and chocolate are all class 30, where sauces appear on 3,105 registrations and ice cream on 2,959. Ice cream surprises people most: it’s made from milk, but it’s class 30, while milkshakes are class 29.
Fresh, unprocessed produce is class 31. A fresh carrot or apple is class 31; once it’s frozen, dried, cooked or pickled it moves to class 29. The same goes for fish: live fish are class 31, fish for eating are class 29. Fresh fruits and vegetables appear on 876 class 31 registrations.
Juices and smoothies are class 32. Oat milk and milkshakes are class 29, but fruit drinks are class 32, where smoothies appear on 1,477 registrations. A plant-based drinks brand selling both needs both.
Serving food is class 43. Making the cheese is class 29. Serving it in a restaurant, café or through catering is a class 43 service, where restaurant services appear on 9,220 registrations. A deli with its own label and a café usually needs both.
Where these terms actually live
| Term | Belongs to | Marks using it |
|---|---|---|
| sauces | Class 30 | 3,105 |
| ice cream | Class 30 | 2,959 |
| fresh fruits and vegetables | Class 31 | 876 |
| smoothies | Class 32 | 1,477 |
| restaurant services | Class 43 | 9,220 |
Each of these is a separate registration. A mark in class 29 does not cover any of them.
Is class 29 the right class for you?
If you sell meat, fish, eggs, dairy, plant-based milk or meat alternatives, preserved or prepared fruit and vegetables, crisps, nuts, soups, spreads or edible oils under your own brand, class 29 is very likely yours. If you also sell bakery goods, sauces or ice cream, fresh produce, drinks, or serve food, look at classes 30, 31, 32 and 43 as well.
Our free class tools build a specification from wording already accepted on real UK filings, so you can see what businesses like yours claim before you commit.
Common questions about class 29
Is cheese class 29 or class 30?
Class 29. Cheese, butter, milk, yoghurt and other dairy products are all class 29. Class 30 covers foods like bread, pasta, sauces and chocolate, so a cheese sauce or a cheese sandwich would be class 30, but the cheese itself is class 29.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOWhat class is oat milk or plant-based milk?
Class 29. Oat milk, almond milk, soya milk, coconut milk and other milk substitutes all sit in class 29 alongside dairy milk, and so do meat substitutes and tofu. Fruit-based drinks and smoothies are class 32.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOWhat class are ready meals?
It depends on the main ingredient. Prepared meals made mainly of meat, fish or vegetables are class 29. Pasta or rice-based meals are class 30, as are sandwiches and pizza. A meal brand with a mixed menu usually claims both.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOAre crisps class 29 or class 30?
Potato crisps and vegetable crisps are class 29, because they’re made from prepared vegetables. Tortilla chips and other grain-based snacks are class 30. A snack brand selling both kinds usually needs both classes.
Answered by Jonathan Paton, Founder & CEOAbout these figures. Last researched 23 September 2026, from UK trademarks registered between September 2021 and September 2026 whose entry in this class is still active. That is current drafting practice rather than the historical register. Terms shown are those most frequently used in that period.
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