FSA News Item, 9 November 2005

IMPORTS - Guidance for businesses on imports of products of non-animal origin

Guidance notes for feed and food businesses on the imports provisions for products of non-animal origin are available.

From 1 January 2006, the legislation controlling feed and food of non-animal origin imported from non-European Union (non-EU) countries into the UK will be changing. The new legislation, the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2005 (and parallel legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) replaces current UK legislation (principally, the Imported Food Regulations 1997) but the general approach in the new legislation is similar.

The guidance notes below, using a question and answer format, explains the legal requirements for import businesses that are set out in Part 3 of the Official Feed and Food Controls ( England) Regulations 2005 (The OFFC Regulations) and outlines the arrangements for enforcement of these. It should be read together with the Regulations. See the Regulations on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website.

For Guidance notes for feed and food businesses on the imports provisions for products of non-animal origin: (pdf file) http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/offcindustryguidance.pdf