The Dover Port Health Authority Order 1978 designated the Port of Dover in the county of Kent as a Port Health district and Dover District Council (DDC) as the Port Health Authority (PHA) for that district.
Our aim is to protect and promote the public health of the people of the district and the Nation as a whole by broadening access to food that is safe and wholesome to eat and through the control and prevention of infectious disease, reported cases of food poisoning and food borne illness. We achieve this through the provision of advice, support, training and consultation on food safety and infectious disease control issues both to the commercial and voluntary sector, whilst ensuring a competent, comprehensive and consistent approach towards the enforcement of domestic and European legislation.
Dover is the largest Ro-Ro (Roll on - Roll off) ferry port in the world. Vessels transport visitors and goods between Dover, France, Belgium and beyond, every day of the year.
As a PHA we are responsible for monitoring the safety of imported food not of animal origin at the point of import, as well as, infectious disease control, ship inspections, food safety and hygiene standards and general public health within the Port District. The Channel Tunnel is also located within the Port District, import controls and checks are also the responsibility of the council.
The PHA is no longer a Border Inspection Post (BIP) and therefore only foodstuffs not of animal origin from third countries (countries not part of the European Community) can be imported into the UK via Dover port and the Channel Tunnel. Products of animal origin that originate in a third country can travel through Dover and or the Channel Tunnel but only if they are already in free circulation, in other words they have been presented and cleared at a BIP prior to their arrival at Dover or the Channel Tunnel.
Because we are not a BIP, the majority of foodstuffs entering the United Kingdom (UK) via Dover PHA are considered to be low risk foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables.
However a number of high risk foodstuffs are also imported through Dover and these foodstuffs are controlled under specific Emergency Control Regulations that prescribe detailed control measures that such foodstuffs as; nuts, dried figs, uncultivated mushrooms, spices and sweets etc are required to provide particular evidence that they have been produced and tested to a certain standard, such foods may also be required to be sampled before they are cleared to enter the UK.
Ultimately we aim to provide a professional service that is without undue delay and/or administrative burden on the commercial sector.
Head Office
Port Health
Health Protection
Public Protection Section
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent
CT16 3PJ
Telephone: 01304 872216
Main Switchboard: 01304 821199
Fax: 01304 872416
E-mail: porthealth@dover.gov.uk
