A quick guide to importing food and drink from the EU to Great Britain

Introduction

This is a quick guide to importing food and drink from the EU to Great Britain

The term “food and drink” refers to Products of Animal Origin (POAO) intended for human consumption. Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, and gelatine are a few examples.

Phased Import Controls for POAO.
The United Kingdom is phasing in controls on imports of POAO from the EU. From July 1, 2022, you will be unable to import the following prohibited and restricted products from the EU into the United Kingdom:

• Chilled minced meat (beef, pork, lamb, mutton and goat).
• Chilled or frozen minced poultry meat.
• Mechanically separated meat from pigs, poultry, and ratite or game birds.
• Ungraded eggs.
• Chilled meat preparations.

POAO Import New Requirements

From July 1, 2022, most POAO imports from the EU to the United Kingdom will require a health certificate.

The exporter from the EU must apply for a health certificate in their own country – relevant authorities should provide versions of health certificates that exporters can apply for, and provide you with an electronic copy to upload to IPAFFS. The consignment must include the actual certificate (not a copy).

Import License. If your food or drink product does not have a health certificate, you may require an import licence or authorization to bring it into the EU. You may require both an import licence and a health certificate in some situations.

Commercial Document. If the product you’re importing requires a commercial document, you should check with the EU exporter. They must furnish it if it does.

The commercial document must have the following information: The contents of the consignment, the identity of the person who sent it, and the name of the person to whom it is being transported.

Notify authorities in Great Britain about your POAO import

From January 1 2021, you must submit an import notification on I.P.A.F.F.S, to alert authorities in the United Kingdom of your import of POAO, under EU safeguard measures; you must submit the import notification 24 hours before your import arrives.

You’ll get a unique notification number (UNN) for the product when you submit your import notification in I.P.A.F.F.S.

The UNN must be given to an EU exporter or an official veterinarian (O.V). The UNN must be added to the health certificate by the exporter or O.V., and a copy must be given to you. After that, you must return to I.P.A.F.F.S and submit a copy of your health certificate to your import notification.

From July 1, 2022, all POAO imports listed in the regulations must enter the UK through a border control post.

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