Products of Animal Origin

If you haven’t registered for IPAFFS, please do so now at Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

All Products of Animal Origin (POAO), Animal By-Products (ABP) and High Risk Foods Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) consignments need to be pre-notified on the Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS). 

If you haven’t done so already, please register for IPAFFS. A training video and guidance on how to create and complete a pre-notification on IPAFFS is available.

To register to use the IPAFFS system traders will need to set up a Government Gateway account and create a Defra account for the IPAFFS service.

Pre-notification

You must pre-notify your consignment at least four-hours in advance of arriving into Great Britain. The four-hour requirement will remain in force until further advice.

How to pre-notify

You will require the following information to complete a notification on IPAFFS:

• What type of animal product or goods you’re importing (i.e., POAO, ABP, HRFNAO)
• Origin of the animal product or goods (which country it was produced, originated in)
• Commodity code (Selectable from a predefined list)
• Commodity type (Selectable from a predefined list)
• Species of the commodity (Selectable from a predefined list)
• Commodity weight (kg)
• Date of arrival into Great Britain
• Reason for importing consignment (i.e., internal market, transit, research, etc)
• Consignment’s place of destination
• Addresses and contact details for place of origin, importer and place of destination
• Details of port of entry

Further guidance has been added to the microsite.

However, if your product is from a non-EU country and has not been cleared for the internal market in the EU, we are not an approved BCP for that kind of goods or services for the moment.

You must come through an approved BCP, please find bellow a list of the approved BCP in the country: UK border control posts: animal and animal product imports - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Share your notification reference with your customs agent

Staged customs controls are ending on goods imported from the EU.  All consignments must be accompanied by a full customs import declaration that is submitted before the goods arrive at the EU point of departure.

Depending on the system used, your customs agent will need to include your IPAFFS’ notification reference number (IMP.GB. 202X.XXXXXXX), as a licence number following the country code and licence type CVD in Box 44 on CHIEF or in the document identifier segment of DE 2/3 (Documents produced) on CDS following the country code and licence type CHD.

In box 44 or DE 2/3, the CHED document code should still be used to reflect the commodity (live animals, plants and plant products, high risk foods and animal products) that you are importing to ensure successful tariff validation.

You need to ensure that you share the IPAFFS’ notification reference number with your customs agent. Your customs agent must enter this number to submit the declaration. Failure to notify and provide this information will delay your custom agent’s ability to complete the declaration and could therefore delay the departure of your consignment.

For more information on customs requirements from 1 January 2022 please refer to gov.uk/transition.

 

The updated Border Operating Model was published on 16/12/2021 by the Government. However, this Model will be amended in due course before a new system regarding Sanitary and Phytosanitary checks will be implemented.

The Border Operating Model confirmed that the grace period for Prohibitions and Restrictions (P&Rs) on certain Products of Animal Origin (POAO) imports will continue.

From 1 January 2022, businesses can continue to import the following commodities from the EU into Great Britain until further notice:

• chilled minced meat (beef, pork, lamb, mutton and goat)
• chilled and frozen minced poultry meat
• mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds
• ungraded eggs  
• chilled meat preparations

The UK Government is committed to the highest standards of animal health and biosecurity, and the extension of the grace period for these products presents a low biosecurity risk.

The UK Government will continue to review the biosecurity and public health risks associated with these products, and the future long-term imports policy in this area, which will be supported by scientific evidence.

From 1 January 2022, you need to pre-notify these on IPAFFS as per the requirements in the Pre-notification section on this page.

For further information visit GOV.UK. If you have any questions, please contact: traders@defra.gov.uk

• What are Prohibited and Restricted Products?

They are specific goods or products that can be subject to trade restrictions.

These trade requirements, which originate in EU law, prevent or restrict the export and import of certain goods from third countries, where it is believed there is a potential for them to present a level of risk to animal, plant or public health.

Prohibitions and Restrictions already apply to imports from non-EU countries.

As an independent trading nation, the UK now sets its own trade requirements regarding P&Rs, and these decisions will reflect the most up to date knowledge of threats posed by biosecurity risks such as pathogens and disease. The UK operates a risk-based system and P&R is part of this system. 

•  These products were not banned when we were members of the EU, why has the UK decided that they are suddenly a health risk? What’s changed?

 As a result of the UK leaving the EU in 2020 and the end of the transition period on the 31 December 2020, the EU is now a third country and is required to follow the same rules applied to all other third countries. Therefore, as P&Rs apply to imports of commodities from third countries, P&R will now also apply to the EU.

The grace period for imports of chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds, ungraded eggs and chilled meat preparations reflect the biosecurity risk status, and to ensure businesses and stock levels are not unduly affected.

•  Why have you only provided a grace period for certain P&R goods?

 A decision has been taken to temporarily delay the introduction of Prohibitions and Restrictions on certain Products of Animal Origin until further notice.

The grace period for imports of chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds, ungraded eggs and chilled meat preparations, is to ensure businesses and stock levels are not affected as these products currently present a low biosecurity risk.

It is a continuation of trade we currently have with the EU and the EEA member states, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland and their biosecurity standards have not changed. The biosecurity risk of importing these goods from EEA member states during this temporary period has been assessed to be low.

•  The easements on chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, and chilled meat preparations, what sort of products does this include?

Examples of meat preparations include raw sausages, raw hamburgers, raw meatballs, raw seasoned steak or chicken, uncooked chicken strips and chicken nuggets.

This also includes products such as pigs in blankets (raw sausages wrapped in cured bacon), where if any of the meat components are not fully cooked and have had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added. Other type of products, for instance, includes oven ready seasoned meats such as turkeys or pork joints.

• What temperature does the frozen meat preparations frozen to?

Frozen meat preparations must be frozen to an internal temperature of not more than -18C.

• When will I need an Export Health Certificate?

Animal products being imported from the European Union into Great Britain will not require a certified Export Health Certificate to accompany the consignment until Sanitary and Phytosanitary checks are implemented.

• Where can I view the Export Health Certificates?

EHCs are issued by the competent authority in the exporting country, based on the requirements outlined in the model Export Health Certificates. The EHC is issued to the exporter based in the European Union (EU), who then provides the importer with an electronic copy to upload onto the notification in IPAFFS before the consignment arrives into Great Britain.

For commodity-specific advice, please refer to the Import Information Notes.

The model of the EHC that must be used to export products to GB can be found in the following link:

Model health certificates for exports of live animals and animal products to Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• From 1 July 2022, my animal products originating from the EU will need to enter via a point of entry with a Border Control Post?

No, this measure has been delayed until further notice.

• Does the delay apply to animal by-products (ABP) as well as animal products for human consumption?

Yes, products of animal origin (POAO) for human consumption and ABP not for human consumption are included in these new arrangements. Both POAO and ABP consignments will require pre-notification from January 2022 until further advice.

Further information about requirements from January can be found on gov.uk

• How does the delay impact Prohibited and Restricted (P&R) goods?

Businesses can continue to import P&R goods from the EU into Great Britain until further advice is given, they must pre-notify those consignments in IPAFFS. Further information can be found on gov.uk

• How and where will I need to pre-notify my goods from 1 January 2022?

IPAFFS is the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) and is the system used to notify the arrival of imports of live animals, animal products and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin.

It is the responsibility of the GB importer (or a representative acting on their behalf) to register for IPAFFS to pre-notify the relevant authority of the goods’ arrival. If an EHC is required for the commodity, the EU exporter should provide the GB importer with an electronic copy of the EHC and the GB importer must upload this on to the notification in IPAFFS.

You can watch the video on how to register for IPAFFS and how to pre-notify.

You can register for IPAFFS on gov.uk

• How do these delays impact my goods that are transiting through Great Britain?

Consignments of EU origin and/or third country that have been cleared for free circulation in the EU can continue to transit through Great Britain as they do today.

From 1 January 2022, animal products transiting through Great Britain will need to be pre-notified via IPAFFS before they enter Great Britain. When these goods leave Great Britain, you will also need to notify authorities that the goods are leaving the country.

Further information on transits is available on gov.uk

• My composite product is exempt from certification, will I need to pre-notify its arrival into Great Britain?

No, if your product meets the requirements for exemption from Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls you do not need to pre-notify authorities of its arrival.

Further information is available on gov.uk

• Does the delay remove any controls from products under safeguard measures?

No, products being imported under safeguard measures must continue to follow existing requirements and controls.

Import requirements are already in place for a small number of POAO subject to safeguard measures.

Emergency safeguard action can be taken at very short notice to prohibit or restrict the importation of certain products from certain countries following an outbreak of disease or a public health issue (such as avian or swine flu). Information on the latest updates concerning disease outbreaks which may affect imports into the UK can be found on gov.uk

POAO subject to safeguard measures are required to be pre-notified in advance of arrival using IPAFFS and all goods must be accompanied by an Export Health Certificate.

The GB importer will also need to supply the EU exporter/ Certifying Officer (usually an Official Veterinarian) with the unique notification number (UNN) that is produced when the importer notifies the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) about the import.

The exporter must add the UNN to the Export Health Certificate. If the safeguard measure is in place due to a new or emerging disease outbreak, and the commodity code is not available in IPAFFS, there may be other steps traders need to take to pre-notify.

Further information can be found at gov.uk

• Does this impact on the introduction of the new EHCs for goods exported to the EU or moved to NI from Great Britain as part of the Animal Health Regulation?

No, Animal Health Regulations EHCs apply to goods being exported from GB to the EU or goods moving from GB to NI only.

The changes in this communication relate to goods being imported from the EU into Great Britain only. 

 

A list of UK BCPs for animal and animal products can be found here UK border control posts: animal and animal product imports - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Fees are payable for checking documentation and examination or sampling consignments should it prove necessary.

Our current fees and charges can be found here

Please email porthealth@dover.gov.uk to set up a payment account prior to the arrival of an Import.