The current list of high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO) will be amended from 7th March 2024.
New legislation will change what NAO food and feed are classed as high-risk and therefore require health checks when being imported into Great Britain. Importers and agents should familiarise themselves with the below changes and ensure they submit accurate documentation for their consignments. The full legislative changes can also be viewed here: The Official Controls (Import of High-Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin) (Amendment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793) (England) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
For products being imported into Northern Ireland, please refer to the responsible port health authority in Northern Ireland.
NEW PRODUCTS REQUIRING CHED-Ds AND SPECIFIC HEALTH CHECKS
Importers will need to submit CHED-Ds, and any other required documentation, when bringing the following products into Great Britain that have an arrival date of 7th March 2024 or after:
- Enoki mushrooms from China
- Granadilla (Passiflora ligularis) and passion fruit from Colombia
- Bananas from Ecuador
- Oranges from Egypt
- Vine leaves from Egypt
- Peppers from India for pesticides
- Cinnamon and cinnamon-tree flowers from India
- Cloves (whole fruit, cloves and stems) from India
- Drumsticks (Moringa oleifera) from India
- Ginger, saffron, turmeric (Curcuma), thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices from India
- Nutmeg, mace and cardamons from India
- Seeds of anise, badian, fennel, coriander, cumin or caraway, and juniper berries from India
- Rice from India
- Melon seeds from Iran
- Hot peppers (Capsicum spp.) from Kenya
- Cow peas (Vigna unguiculata subspp.) from Madagascar
- Rice from Pakistan
- Enoki mushrooms from South Korea
- Sesame seeds (Sesamum) from Syria
- Tahini and halva from Sesamum seeds from Syria
PRODUCTS NO LONGER REQUIRING CHED-Ds AND SPECIFIC HEALTH CHECKS
Importers will no longer need to submit CHED-Ds for the following products that have an arrival date of 7th March 2024 or after in Great Britain, as they will not be subject to specific health checks:
- Hazelnuts from Turkey
PRODUCTS MOVING FROM ANNEX II TO ANNEX I
Products that are moving from Annex II to Annex I in the new legislation will still require CHED-Ds to be submitted to port health prior to their arrival in Great Britain. However, they will no longer require health certificates or test reports.
This applies to consignments leaving their countries of origin on and after 7th March 2024, which will be determined by the loading dates displayed on bills of lading.:
- Pitahaya (dragon fruit) from Vietnam
PRODUCTS MOVING FROM ANNEX I TO ANNEX II
Products moving from Annex I to Annex II in the new legislation will now require original health certificates and copies of test results to be submitted to port health along with CHED-Ds. The format of the health certificates can be found on the Gov website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-risk-food-and-feed-not-of-animal-origin-hrfnao-health-certificates
This applies to consignments leaving their countries of origin on and after 7th March 2024, which will be determined by the loading dates displayed on bills of lading:
- Spice mixes from Pakistan
SCOPE OF CONTROLS FOR GROUNDNUTS
The scope of controls for groundnuts has been extended to include groundnut paste from the following countries:
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- China
- Egypt
- The Gambia
- Ghana
- India
- Senegal
- Sudan
- United States
SAMPLING FREQUENCIES
To see the health controls (hazards) and sampling frequencies that will apply to each product with an arrival date of 7th March 2024 or after in Great Britain, please refer to Schedules 1 and 2 in the new legislation The Official Controls (Import of High-Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin) (Amendment of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793) (England) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk) .
There are a number of changes to previous sampling frequencies.
Increasing are:
- Hot peppers (Capsicum spp.) from Thailand
- Hot peppers (Capsicum spp.) from India. Note: analysis for ethylene oxide is no longer required
Decreasing are:
- Sweet peppers (Capsicum annum) from China
- Palm oil from Ghana
- Nutmeg from Indonesia
Tables – all of the above changes are shown in the SCPHA tables.
BANNED PRODUCTS
There are no changes. Dried beans from Nigeria for food use continue to be banned from import into Great Britain.
IMPORTING HRFNAO FROM EU COUNTRIES INTO GREAT BRITAIN
Please ensure you are familiar with the new requirements for importing HRFNAO from the EU into GB – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-high-risk-food-and-feed-not-of-animal-origin-from-the-eu-to-great-britain
If you have imported HRFNAO into the EU and had full CHED-D checks at the EU border and you simply store the products in the EU without further processing (note: repackaging does not count as processing) before shipping them to GB, you will need to go through the process again at the GB border (CHED-D on IPAFFS with required documentation, and sampling).
For example, if you import Dried Figs from Turkey into the Netherlands (CHED-D, health certificate, results report) and receive full clearance, and then export some/all of this consignment to GB you will need to create a GB CHED-D on IPAFFS, submit an original Netherlands issued health certificate along with a copy of test results for aflatoxin as well as commercial documentation to port health. From 30 April 2024 port health will check these documents and will conduct sampling at the frequency laid down in UK legislation.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further information on importing non-animal origin products into Great Britain can be found here https://www.porthealth.uk/import-guidance/non-animal-origin/