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Border controls are in place to check that organic products imported into Great Britian are compliant with organic production standards.
Checks are carried out at the border by Port Health and the policy is managed by the Defra Organic Farming Branch.
Importers of consignments of organic food and feed products must submit the required documentation to Port Health for checking prior to importation.
The rules do not apply to plants and other plant products and other items not for consumption by humans or animals such as fabric or organic products for external application such as oils, creams or cosmetics.
Importers must notify Port Health 24 hours in advance of the intended arrival of any organic consignment. An organic imports pre notification form can be downloaded here.
Notification and endorsement of all organic consignments must be made by completing a Certificate of Inspection (CoI).
The blank model of the CoI for imports into Great Britain can be found here.
Defra notes on completing the GB CoI can be found here.
The Certificate of Inspection (CoI) is issued by the control authority or the control body. The original signed and stamped certificate is submitted to Port Health (along with copies of commercial documents) for validation. The Port Health endorsed signed CoI must accompany the consignment to the consignee’s premises where it must be kept for two years.
All organic imports are subjected to a documentary check – an assessment of the original CoI is conducted to ensure that it is valid for the consignment being imported.
An identity check is not normally carried out unless there is any question over the link between the documentation and the consignment.
Physical checks are not normally carried out, but samples may be taken where required.
On satisfactory completion of the checks, consignments will be released for free circulation into Great Britain.
The completed CoI will be verified and endorsed. Port Health will return the original CoI signed and stamped to the company indicated on the pre
notification form.
The signed CoI may then be used as evidence that the checks have been satisfactorily completed.
Note: there is a further stage of CoI completion by the first consignee following clearance at the point of entry. The first consignee declaration must be completed when the Port Health signed CoI is received.
Products failing to satisfy organic import conditions may be re-exported to a country outside of Great Britain or relabelled under the supervision of Trading Standards and under notice to remove all organic references.
Where the checks are found to be unsatisfactory you will be sent a legal notice specifying the reason and outlining any options available. If you do not think that this is in accordance with the law an appeal may usually be brought to a Magistrates Court. This right must be exercised within one month of the notice being served. On receipt of a notice, recipients are advised to contact their legal advisers if they wish to appeal against the notice.
Port Health will check manifest information and commercial documentation to ensure that checks are carried out. Inland Trading Standards Officers for the Local Authority are responsible for checks at retail sale.
Fees are payable for checking documentation and examination or sampling consignments should it prove necessary.
All fees must be paid prior to release.
Please see our schedule of charges.
Defra (organic imports) oversee organic imports into the UK: organic.imports@defra.gsi.gov.uk, organic.imports@defra.gov.uk
See also a list of UK organic control bodies
DEFRA has produced the following guidance documents:
