Composite products

Country
United Kingdom (GB)
NPG Category
Edible
NPG Product
Edible processed goods

Australia regained freedom from High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) as of 13 June 2025 and information is available on the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) website.

The department is working closely with industry and trading partners to re-establish trade to affected markets where trade is not already restored. Despite the return of Australia’s HPAI freedom status, export certification for some poultry and ratite meat, meat products, rendered meals, pet food, eggs and egg products may continue be affected for Australian product while trading partners undertake their own risk assessment processes.

The Department will be issuing regular Market Access Advices (MAAs) to advise exporters of relevant trade developments and the status of export certification. Exporters are advised to refer to the latest MAAs for the most up-to-date information.

Exporters are also advised to confirm with their importer or the importing country’s relevant authority that they meet the importing country requirements.

For all enquiries or to obtain a copy of the latest Market Access Advice, please email exportstandards@aff.gov.au.

Exporters are reminded that it is an offence to provide false or misleading information to the Australian Government.

1.1 Prohibited

The Department is not aware of any prohibited edible non-prescribed products for this market.

1.2 Conditions

The UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has implemented new changes from July 2023 to the import conditions of edible composite products. Australian edible composite products are classified as “medium risk” and “low risk”. Under the new import conditions, “low risk” products are those that are shelf stable at ambient temperature and sterilised.

All other import conditions remain the same. 

Full details can be viewed on the UK government website.

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:

  1. The same country as the composite product; or
  2. Great Britain; or
  3. Another third country that has a similar health status i.e.
    1. meat products can only come from an 'A treatment' country (Retained EU Decision 2007/777) and go to another 'A treatment' country;
    2. 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:

  1. Any meat product.
  2. Any other processed product of animal origin, where the POAO makes up half or more of the substance of the composite product; and
  3. 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)

3.1 Government certification

"Low risk" edible composite products (refer to section 1.2 ) no longer require health certificates. 

The department will issue an amended NGBB (004/24) certificate to meet importing country requirements for "medium risk" edible composite products from 30 April 2024. This export certificate is available as a manual only certificate, as per below:

Certificate templateTitle
NGBB (04/24)*Health Certificate for import of composite products intended for human consumption to Great Britain

*Trade to Northern Ireland must use the new certificate for the export of composite products. Refer to NPG - European Union

The UK model health certificate for composite products can be found here: GBHC440-COMP -UK model certificate (PDF 208 KB).

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).

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.

03/06/2024 - Added High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza certification alert.
10/05/2024 - Updated new import conditions (sections 1.2 and 3.1).
29/06/2023 - New case migrated from previous country page.