Importing products of animal origin

This includes the following food groups:

• meat, including fresh meat, meat products, minced meat, meat preparations, poultry meat, rabbit, farmed game meat and wild game meat
• eggs and egg products
• milk and milk products
• honey gelatine and gelatine products

Importing composite product containing animal produce must follow similar rules.

A composite product is:

• foodstuff that contains both processed animal products and products of plant origin, for example, salami
• where the processing of the primary product is essential to the production of the final foodstuff

Importing into GB from EU and EFTA countries

Import risk categories under the BTOM for animal products imported from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland to Great Britain, and the import rules and inspection rates for each category can be found on GOV.UK.

The above link show the BTOM risk categories and inspection percentages for imports of products of animal origin (POAO) from EU and EFTA countries and in summary:

• tables which show the BTOM risk categories and inspection rates for imports of products of animal origin (POAO) from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland
• the Faroe Islands and Greenland will follow EU SPS rules for certain commodities, such as fishery products. Other imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will continue to follow import rules for non-EU countries

Imports will be subject to identity checks and physical checks. The percentage rates of identity and physical checks (the inspection rate) depends on the risk category of the commodity being imported:

• medium risk category commodities will be inspected at a rate between 1% and 30% - read further information on the frequency rates of medium risk commodities

Low risk category commodities will not be subject to routine inspection, but they may be subject to non-routine or intelligence-led checks.

All medium risk imported products of animal origin are required to be accompanied by an Export Health Certificate. 

You can find further information on the importation of POAO on the Import food and drink from the EU to Great Britain page on GOV.UK.

Importing into GB from non-EU countries  

Import risk categories under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) for animals or animal products imported from a non-EU country to Great Britain, the import rules and inspection rates for each category can be found on GOV.UK

The above link show the BTOM risk categories and inspection percentages for imports of products of animal origin (POAO) from non-EU countries.

Imports will be subject to identity checks and physical checks. The percentage rates of identity and physical checks (the inspection rate) depends on the risk category of the commodity being imported:

• medium risk category commodities will be inspected at a rate between 1% and 30%
• low risk category commodities will not be subject to routine inspection, but they may be subject to non-routine or intelligence-led checks

Traders must: 

• notify the border control post (BCP), that is designated to check your commodity, via the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS), in advance of arrival of any POAO consignments 
• submit the relevant documentation to the BCP, including an original health certificate. The type of certification required is dependent on the product type and country of origin 
  present the goods to the BCP for veterinary checks to take place 
• pay for all charges for the inspection of the goods retain the CHED, issued upon clearance, for one year at the first point of destination of goods in GB 

Further information on import requirements can be found on GOV.UK.

Food supplements which are packaged for the final consumer containing glucosamine, chondroitin, or chitosan, do not need to be imported through a Border Inspection Post and are not subject to veterinary checks. 

Border Control Posts

Border Controls Posts (BCPs) handle products of animal origin which is subject to import controls on arrival to Great Britain. Goods that fail checks will not be allowed into the UK and may be destroyed. 

Importing test samples of food containing POAO 

This includes meat, honey or dairy products. 

If you want to import samples of POAO, then you must check what and how much is allowed and complete an authorisation form. For further information contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Find and download the POAO authorisation application form.

If APHA provides you with an authorisation exempting your product or products from checks at Border Inspection Posts, then these samples may be brought into GB without the need to be accompanied by certification. But they must be accompanied by the original authorisation form.

However, if they are to be used in taste testing, they must be safe for human consumption, and also:

• not be contaminated
• be from an approved country
• have been heat treated
• only be consumed by employees and trade customers (i.e. representatives of companies that may purchase future products) who must be advised that the products have not been subjected to imported food checks at any Border Control Post on entry to the UK. Authorisations are not issued for samples intended for taste testing by the general public

Importers must ensure that their goods are safe and legal before they are purchased from producers and imported into the UK, therefore they may wish to test their products before importing them.

Public Analysts, who are skilled scientists, are available to test that food samples comply with food safety requirements by undertaking chemical analysis and/or by arranging for microbiological examination, although there is no legal requirement for importers to do so.

See our list of Official Food Control Laboratories in the UK.

In addition, there are a number of other laboratories in GB and abroad that would undertake the work that importers may require. The importer could then arrange for the analysis report to form the basis of their quality controls for their supplier.