7. Importation Requirements
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7. Importation Requirements
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General Foods
United Kingdom
This section provides information on the importation process (shipment, customs, licenses required, and test requirements).
7.1 Shipment Declaration
7.2 Customs Procedure
For composite products (foodstuffs containing both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin e.g. mayonnaise containing egg or savory/sweet sauce containing dairy ingredients or honey) not containing meat, a Private attestation established in Annex V of Commission Implementing Regulation No 2020/2235 [1] is required.
For composite products containing meat ingredients, an Official certificate established in Chapter 50 of Annex III of Commission Implementing Regulation No 2020/2235 is required at the border (please see screenshot on the side).
Attestation and Official certificate must be prepared and signed by the representative of the importing food business operator when presented at the BCP.
For processed products containing only plant-origin ingredients, there is no attestation nor certificate required at the EU border, unless they present a safety risk and are listed in Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/1793 [2], please refer below to section 7.4 - Tests for Importation - for further details.
A database listing the non-EU countries' authorized establishments is available [3].
If the imported food supplement contains any products of animal origin, then among other requirements, this may require certification of the product. The third country and third country establishment that produces the product must be listed with GB to import such commodities into GB. Such imports will be subject to veterinary checks at the point of entry to GB.
If the product might contain any animal product, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) must be contacted. APHA is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Examples of meat products that a food supplement may contain:
- Milk products (dried milk powder, whey, or lactose)
- Egg products (dried egg powder)
- Meat products (any animal tissues such as thymus glands or ground bone material)
- Fishery Products (ground shell or bones)
7.3 Manufacturing License
N/A
7.4 Test for Importation
As per article 47 (1)(b) of Regulation 2017/625 [4], when shelf composite products (foodstuffs containing both products of plant origin and processed products of animal origin (e.g., mayonnaise containing egg products or savory/sweet sauce containing dairy ingredients or honey)) are imported in the EU, a control in EU border control posts (BCP) will apply, unless the product presents a lower safety risk as defined in Annex to Commission Delegated Regulation 2021/630 [5]. Relevant attestation and certificate must be submitted at the BCP.
When processed products based on only plant-origin ingredients are imported into the EU, they are not subject to control at the EU border at BCP, unless they present a safety risk and are listed in Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/1793 [6]. Article 12 of this Regulation requires the EU Commission to review the lists set out in the Annexes on a regular basis, not exceeding six months.
There is no specific test needed to support the importation process, and test results will not be asked at the EU border. However, it is the responsibility of the food business operator to ensure due diligence measures are in place and documented in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) or food safety management systems, in order to mitigate the risk in food. Please refer to the section "8. Safety Parameters" for further details.
7.5 Other Notes or Requirements for Importation
An official website for the import of goods is available [7]. It presents the process for importing goods to the EU, and it is also relevant for food.
For importing composite products (sauce/syrup containing processed ingredients of animal origin and plant origin), an official webpage with a question and answer is available [8].
7.6 Overview Flowchart for Importation Process
Please refer to the step-by-step process for importing goods in the UK [9].
7.7 References
1. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 of 16 December 2020 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates, model official certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements within the Union of consignments of certain categories of animals and goods, official certification regarding such certificates
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2020/2235/oj
2. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the Union of certain goods from certain third countries
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02019R1793-20220703
3. Database listing the Non-EU countries authorized establishments
4. Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj
5. Commission Delegated Regulation 2021/630 as regards certain categories of goods exempted from official controls at border control posts
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2021/630/oj
6. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 of 22 October 2019 on the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the Union of certain goods from certain third countries implementing Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EC) No 669/2009, (EU) No 884/2014, (EU) 2015/175, (EU) 2017/186 and (EU) 2018/1660
7. EU website for import of goods
https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/content/guide-import-goods
8. EU entry conditions for composite products
9. Importing goods into the UK: step by step
https://www.gov.uk/import-goods-into-uk
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