Composite products

To ensure that the product of animal origin within the composite product meets the human health requirements of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

As a general rule, controlled composite products are those containing any processed meat (e.g. beef, chicken, pork) or containing half or more than half of other processed products of animal origin such as:

• Milk products
• Egg products
• Fishery products

A composite product that contains no processed meat product and less than half its substance of other processed product of animal origin is also subject to checks except where they meet the requirements of Article 6 of Decision 2007/275/EC. The milk content must only come from a country approved for dairy products.

Commission Decision 2007/275 list the composite products subject to checks.

The first stage when importing a composite product subject to checks into Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the documentary check stage. Included in the documentary check stage is the need for the composite product to be accompanied by the relevant official certificate in Regulation (EU) 2019/628 (as retained) if they contain processed meat, milk, egg or fishery product.

Composite products containing any other animal product must be accompanied by the relevant certificate required for the particular animal content or in other cases by a commercial document.

Identity check

Composite products are also subject to an identity check which includes verification of the product, identification marks and other product information as stated on the health certificates and supporting documents.

Physical check

A percentage of composite products must be physically checked to see that the product remains fit for its intended purpose. This may include sampling the product to look for pathogenic micro-organisms or contaminants such as veterinary residues.

Products failing to satisfy import conditions may be re-dispatched to a country outside GB. A legal notice is served requiring that the product is to be re-dispatched or destroyed. An appeal may usually be brought to a Magistrates Court and must be made within one month of the notice being served. If the consignment is deemed to be a risk to human or animal health or where the person responsible for the consignment fails to comply with its re export, it must be sent for destruction. All costs for destruction are to be met by the person responsible for the container load.