1. Preconditions for market access
Exporters are not required to obtain an import permit.
1.2 Listing and audit
| Listing and audit procedure | Required? |
|---|
| Audit | Current certificate of compliance for a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)-based food safety management program |
| Listing – Department's Establishment Register (ER) | Yes |
Australian establishments that produce and pack edible apiculture products for export to the United Kingdom (UK) must be listed with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) as UK eligible prior to export.
To apply, Australian producers and packers of edible apiculture products must have a current certificate of compliance for a HACCP-based food safety management program. For more information and to apply:
Forms for the export of non-prescribed goods.
Please note production dates must be after official notification of listing in the Department’s system.
Establishments that produce or process edible apiculture products to the UK once approved by DAFF are listed on the
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' website. An excel spreadsheet of all approved establishments can be downloaded. Filter under ‘Australia’, ‘Animal by-products', ‘Processing Plants’ to find the information you are looking for. It can take up to three months for establishments to appear on the DEFRA website.
1.3 Prohibited products
The Department is not aware of any prohibited edible apiculture products for this market.
2. Documentation requirements
2.1 Government certification
The following export certificate is available as a NEXDOC electronic certificate for honey and bee products for human consumption to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
| Certificate template | Title |
|---|
*Trade to Northern Ireland must use the EU certificate for honey exports (EUHGB). See
NPG - European Union
|
NGBA (02/23)* (NEXDOC Only)
| Health Certificate for the import of honey, royal jelly and other apiculture products intended for human consumption from Non-EU Countries
|
Exporters of honey and bee products to Great Britain can register for NEXDOC through the
online services portal. Exporters can access more information on how to register as an exporter by visiting the
NEXDOC help page.
For information on completing a Request for Permit in NEXDOC to obtain a certificate, please see the NEXDOC Help page. The NGBA certificate template requires a wet signature and stamp to be applied by the department Authorised Officer. Remote printing is not available for the NGBA.
For information on how to complete the NGBA certificate information fields in NEXDOC please see the
Guidance document (PDF 3.7 MB).
Australian producers, packers and exporters of edible apiculture should understand and adhere to the requirements under the retained EU regulation EC 2019/628 concerning official certificates for certain animals and goods. In particular, the export certificate must be issued before the consignment departs Australia (Article 3).
2.2 Supporting documents and exporter declarations
Australian honey only
A manufacturer's declaration is required to confirm that the honey is 100% Australian origin and unblended with imported honey.
Blended honey
Only honey originating from countries eligible to export to the UK may be used to blend honey destined for export to the UK. This requirement also applies to honey that is imported to Australia for repackaging and then exported to the UK.
An exporter's declaration is required to confirm the honey for export is either Australian honey blended with imported honey, or is 100 per cent imported honey.
To export to the UK honey that has been blended with honey from third countries, the exporter must provide certification or a letter on official letterhead from the agricultural authorities of the third countries with the following attestations:
I, the undersigned, declare that I am aware of the relevant provisions of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 and Regulation (EU) 2017/625, and I certify that honey and other apiculture products described above were produced in accordance with these requirements, in particular that they:
- come from (an) establishment(s) implementing a programme based on the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004;
- have been handled and, where appropriate, prepared, packaged and stored in a hygienic manner in accordance with the requirements of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004; and
- fulfil the guarantees covering live animals and products thereof provided by the residue plans submitted in accordance with Council Directive 96/23/EC, and in particular Article 29 thereof.
3. Other requirements
Australian producers, packers and exporters of edible apiculture products must understand and implement provisions set out in the following retained EU regulations:
-
(EC) No. 2002/178 relating to general food laws, including traceability
-
(EC) No. 2004/852 relating to food hygiene
-
(EC) No. 2004/853 relating to specific rules for food of animal origin.
Edible apiculture products must have been handled and where appropriate prepared, packaged and stored in a hygienic manner in accordance with the requirements of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
Exporters should be aware of EU labelling requirements, including allergen statement requirements, as detailed in EU Regulation No 1169/2011.
Edible apiculture products exported to the UK must comply with European Directive 96/23/EC, which sets EU standards for residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and environmental contaminants. The Department's National Residue Survey honey program gives the EU adequate assurance of the compliance of Australian edible apiculture products. Edible apiculture products must be solely of Australian origin or blended with products imported from countries that meet the EU's requirements for residue testing.
Each year, Australia and other countries that export animal products to the EU and the UK submit their residue monitoring programs for assessment. The EU and UK then publishes their results of its assessment. This decision is amended and placed on the EUR-Lex website periodically. Decision 2015/1338/EU is in force and includes a list of countries that have been accepted as meeting the EU's and UK's residue requirements and whose honey could be included in blended products for export to the EU and UK.
4. Exemptions granted by the United Kingdom
Products of animal origin, composite products, products derived from animal by-products, plants, plant products and other objects which form part of passengers' personal luggage and which are intended for personal consumption or use, are exempted from official controls at EU border control posts provided that their combined quantity does not exceed a weight limit of 2 kg, as written in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 2019/2122.
1. Preconditions for market access
Composite products are defined in Article 2(a) of retained
EU Decision 2007/275 as "a foodstuff intended for human consumption that contains both processed products of animal origin and products of plant origin and includes those where the processing of primary product is an integral part of the production of the final product"
Composite products containing meat products must come from a country and where applicable, the region, approved to export that type of meat product to Great Britain.
Composite products containing half or more of their substance of any one processed product of animal origin (POAO) other than meat products must come from a country approved to export that POAO to Great Britain.
However, any milk product included in any composite product shall only be derived from a country listed in Annex 1 to the Milk and Dairy Regulation as approved to export milk to Great Britain and the milk must have been treated/processed as indicated in that Annex.
Meat products and dairy products used in composite products referred to above must have originated from:
- The same country as the composite product; or
- Great Britain; or
- Another third country that has a similar health status i.e.
- meat products can only come from an 'A treatment' country (Retained EU Decision 2007/777) and go to another 'A treatment' country;
- dairy products can only come from one 'column A' or 'column B' country (Retained EU Regulation 605/2010) where the third country in which the composite product is produced is also authorised under the same conditions.
If the composite product is manufactured in a separate establishment to that of the POAO, the composite product does not have to come from an approved establishment (however, the POAO must come from an approved establishment). If the POAO and the final composite product are produced in the same establishment, then that establishment would have to be approved.
If a composite product is made using raw animal product which is processed during manufacture of the composite product, the establishment manufacturing the composite product must be approved.
The following POAOs must come from an approved establishment:
- Any meat product.
- Any other processed product of animal origin, where the POAO makes up half or more of the substance of the composite product; and
- Dairy products if the composite product is not shelf stable at ambient temperature and/or does not meet the requirements of Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC, regardless of the amount of the dairy content in the product.
Composite products manufactured using previously processed animal products do not have to bear an identification mark, and they only require the establishment of origin of the final composite product to be registered.
However, if the POAO and the final composite product are produced in the same establishment it must have an identification mark in accordance with Retained EU Regulation 853/2004 and 2017/625. The identification mark shows the approval number of the approved premises together with an abbreviation for the country of origin. The mark must be applied directly to the product or to the wrapping or packaging before the product leaves the establishment.
For the export of composite products to Great Britain, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, use certificate template NGBB titled "Health certificate for the import of composite products intended for human consumption to Great Britain (01/23)" This is a manual only certificate.
Please note, Australia does not currently maintain a UK approved residue plan for porcine or poultry and therefore is not permitted to export those commodities or products containing these ingredients to the EU nor Great Britain. Australia does maintain UK approved residue plans for meat, dairy and fish products and can export these products, and products containing these ingredients, to the EU and Great Britain.
For further information refer to:
Import of Composite Products for Human Consumption (PDF 340KB)
2. Documentation requirements
2.1 Government certification
The following export certificate is available as a manual only certificate:
| Certificate template | Title
|
|---|
*Trade to Northern Ireland must use the new certificate for the export of composite products. Refer to
NPG - European Union
|
| NGBB (01/23)* | Health Certificate for import of composite products intended for human consumption to Great Britain
|
3. Other requirements
Labelling of pre-packaged food – address in the UK
- Food placed on the market in the UK must display the name and address of the UK Food Business operator (FBO) responsible for the information presented on the label.
- Food placed on the market in Northern Ireland will need an FBO address in either the EU or Northern Ireland.
- Pre-packaged food intended to be sold in the UK should be correctly labelled by 30 September 2022.
Pre-notification – all products
Great Britain (GB) will apply UK regulations and systems. Pre-notification on the UK Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) must be provided by GB import agents and cannot be raised by exporters directly.
Northern Ireland adopts the EU regulations and import systems. The EU TRACES system must continue to be used to provide pre-notification of imports to Northern Ireland (Belfast Port and Belfast International Airport).
4. Exemptions granted by the United Kingdom
Products of animal origin, composite products, products derived from animal by-products, plants, plant products and other objects which form part of passengers' personal luggage and which are intended for personal consumption or use, are exempted from official controls at border control posts provided that their combined quantity does not exceed a weight limit of 2 kg, as written in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 2019/2122.
