Import composite products from the EU to Great Britain

This guidance applies to businesses in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) importing or moving composite products from the EU and Northern Ireland to Great Britain.Britain. 

Composite products contain both of the following:following: 

• processed products of animal origin (POAO) for human consumptionconsumption 
• plant products as a main ingredient – not just added for flavouring or processingproducts  

Examples of composite products include:include: 

• lasagnelasagne 
• pork piespies 
• pepperoni pizzapizza 
• cream liqueursliqueurs 
• chicken burritosburritos 

Plant-based products withthat nocontain no POAO content are not composite products.products. 

You needcan go to followthe guidancedecision ontree importingin orinformation movingleaflets foodfor andbusinesses drink from the EU and Northern Ireland to Greatfind Britainout if your product:

• product is unprocesseda POAOcomposite –product. 

  Product standards for example,composite freshproducts chicken

• containsimported smallfrom amountsthe ofEU plant-basedto productsGreat addedBritain 

  Your forcomposite processingproduct ormust tomeet givecertain extrastandards flavourto –be examplesimported includefrom yoghurtsthe withEU addedto fruit,Great orBritain. 

  Products cheesethat withmust herbs

• containscome severalfrom typesboth ofan POAOapproved butcountry doesand notapproved meetestablishment  

  Certain thetypes of composite product definition

Youmust needcome tofrom followboth: 

• a differentcountry rulesthat’s ifapproved you’reto importingexport animalto productsGreat notBritain 
• a forpremises humanthat’s consumption,approved suchto asexport petto food.

  ProductGreat standardsBritain for(this compositedoes productsnot importedapply from the EU to Greatwild-caught Britain

  fish) 

YourIf the composite product mustcontains meetthe certainfollowing standardsPOAO toingredients bein imported from the EUquantities tospecified, Greatthe Britain.

Productsingredients thatin containthe processedproduct meatmust orcome afrom minimuman ofapproved 50%country milk,and dairy,an eggapproved or fishery products

establishment:  

The

• any meat,amount milk,of dairy,meat 
• any eggamount orof fishnon-shelf-stable componentdairy 
• at thatleast makes50% upof 50%shelf-stable ordairy 
• at moreleast 50% of yourfish productproduct 
• at mustleast come50% fromof eithereggs of 

See the followinglist thatof are approved toEU export to Great Britain:countries. 

• EU

  See country

• businessthe inlist thatof countryapproved (thisnon-EU does not apply to wild-caught fish)

countries. 

You may need a catch certificate and processing statement or storage document if your product:product: 

• contains 20% or more marine-caught fish or fishery productsproducts 
• will be imported using using tariff codescode 1604 or tariff orcode 1605  

ProductsComposite products made with other POAO, such as honey, gelatine orand snailssnails 

ImportsHoney ofin composite products made with honey, gelatine or snails must come from an approved country.

They do not need to be:

• processed at a businesscountry approved by Great Britain
• heat-treated in line with Greata Britainresidue rules

Ifcontrol 50%plan. orFind out more ofin the contentimport ofinformation thenote producton youhoney, importroyal isjelly madeand withother honey,apiculture gelatineproducts or(PDF,162KB). 

Find snails,out theabout EUgelatine exporterand maycollagen needas toa givesource youPOAO a:

• healthin certificate for the individualimport productinformation –note theon honey, gelatine orand snails
• compositecollagen healthfor certificatehuman ifconsumption the(PDF, product152KB).  

  Find alsoout containsabout meat,snail fish,meat dairyas ora eggs

Ifsource thePOAO productin containsthe lessimport thaninformation 50%note of honey,on gelatinesnail ormeat snailsfor thehuman productconsumption may(PDF, be exempt158KB)..  

Residue plans

SomeIf countriesa mustcomposite haveproduct residuemade planswith forother certainPOAO productsalso theycontains exportany (for example, meat, dairy,dairy or eggs, fishthe andmeat, honey).dairy Youor shouldeggs checkcomponent withwill yourneed EUto exporterbe ifprocessed there’sat a residuepremises planapproved forby theGreat componentsBritain. in 

If the product you’recontains importing.

Youless willthan not50% beother ablePOAO it tomay importbe ifexempt thefrom countryimport you’renotification importingand fromother doesimport notcontrols haveat athe residue plan.border. 

NotifyResidue authoritiescontrol in Great Britain about your composite product importplans 

YouAll countries must submithave anresidue importcontrol notificationplans for incertain IPAFFSanimals toand notifyanimal authoritiesproducts inthey Greatexport Britainto aboutGreat yourBritain, compositefor productexample, importmeat, fromdairy, EUeggs, countriesfish exceptand thehoney. RepublicA ofresidue Ireland,control unlessplan it is exempt.

Adda informationsystem aboutfor thetesting businessproducts you’refor importingchemical from

residues and contaminants. 

YouThe needPOAO toin adda informationcomposite toproduct IPAFFSmust aboutoriginate thefrom businessa you’recountry importingwith from,a ifresidue it’scontrol coming from:plan.  

• the

  You EU

• Iceland,will Norway,not Switzerland,be Lichtenstein,able Santo Marino,import Faroesto orGreat Greenland

ToBritain addwithout the approved business:one. 

1. OnYou thecan ‘Traderscheck addresses’if page,there selectis ‘Add a placeresidue ofcontrol origin’,plan thenin selectplace ‘Createfor a newcountry placeat ofthe origin’.following:

• Inlist the ‘Place of originapproved name’EU field,countries

• list enter the full name of theapproved exportingnon-EU business, then its authorisation number.
  countries 

• In

Contact the ‘Placeauthorities ofin origin’Great fields,Britain 

You entermust thesubmit fullan address,import telephonenotification number,on countrythe import andof emailproducts, addressanimals, forfood theand approvedfeed business.

2. Savesystem these(IPAFFS) details. Detailsfor will be saved to your addresscomposite bookproducts soimported that you can use them again.from: 

   • the EU 

   • AddIceland, theNorway, approvedSwitzerland, businessLichtenstein, toSan yourMarino, importFaroes notification.

     or Greenland 

If you need help with import notificationsnotifications 

You can call the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpline on 03300 416 999, or email  APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk. 

CompositeExemptions products exempt from controlscontrols 

Some composite products are exempt from import controls.controls at the UK border. Exempt products do not need:

• a health certificate – they need a commercial document instead
• to be pre-notified
• to enter Great Britain through a border control post (BCP)). They – they can enter through any point of entry

entry. 

Products are exempt if they are all of the following apply, and they’re:following: 

• heat-treated – this means the product is shelf-stable at ambient temperature or hashave undergone complete cooking or heat treatment during manufacture so that any raw product is denatureddenatured 
• made without processed meat, meat extracts or powderspowders 
• made with less than 50% of any other processed processed POAO (any dairy must come from an approved country and have undergone the correct heat treatment for that country)country) 
• labelled for human consumptionconsumption 
• securely packaged or sealed in clean containerscontainers 

OtherExamples of exempt products are:are: 

• confectionery (including sweets) and chocolate that is heat-treated and contains less than 50% of processed dairy and egg productsproducts 
• pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with processed meat product, that have been heat-treated and contain less than 50% of processed dairy and egg productsproducts 
• bread, cakes, biscuits, waffles and wafers, rusks, toasted bread and similar toasted products that are heat-treated and contain less than 20% of processed dairy and egg productsproducts 
• olives stuffed with fishfish 
• soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumer that are heat-treated and contain less than 50% of fish oils, fish powders or fish extractsextracts 
• food supplements packaged for the final consumer that containscontain less than 20% in total of processed animal products (including glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosan) other than meat products 
• products accompanied by a commercial document 

A list of exempt composite products is inin  Annex 2 of the import information note CP/1.. 

Commercial documents for exempt products 

You must use a commercial document to import composite products that are exempt from import controls. The commercial document or product labelling must be in English and must include: 

• the nature, quantity and number of packages of the composite products 
• the country of origin 
• the manufacturer 
• a list of ingredients 

Moving composite products from Northern Ireland to Great BritainBritain 

You can move composite products from Northern Ireland to Great Britain if they’re qualifying Northern Ireland goods.. 

LegislationNon-composite products 

You need to follow guidance on importing or moving food and drink from the EU and Northern Ireland to Great Britain if your product: 

• is unprocessed POAO – for example, raw chicken 
• contains small amounts of plant-based products added for processing or to give extra flavour – examples include yoghurts with added fruit, or cheese with herbs 
• contains several types of POAO but does not meet the composite product definition 

You need to follow different rules if you’re importing animal products not for human consumption, such as pet food. 

Legislation 

The following regulations give more information about composite products, including definitions:definitions: 

• Retained EU Decision 2007/275/EC 
• Retained EU Regulation No. 28/2012 

IfGetting you need help with your customs declarationdeclaration 

YouContact can call the HMRC helplineimport on 0300 322 9434, Monday to Friday 8am to 10pm, and Saturdayexport togeneral Sunday 8am to 4pm.enquiries.