Importer Information Note (IIN) – Conditions of the 

importation of composite products for human 

consumption from countries outside the EU (IIN CP/1)

1. Scope

“Composite Products” are defined in Article 2(a) of Commission Decision 

2007/275/EC 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”. 

2. Production standards

In order to be able to meet these requirements, the composite products must 

have been produced in accordance with the conditions laid down in:

 Council Directive 2002/99/EC laying down the animal health rules 

governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of 

products of animal origin for human consumption; 

 Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and 

requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority 

and laying down procedures in matters of food safety; 

 Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs; 

 Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 laying down specific rules for food of animal 

origin;

 Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 laying down specific rules for the 

organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for 

human consumption; and

 Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the 

verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and 

animal welfare rules
More detailed information on the hygiene legislation can be found on the Food 

Standards Agency website. 

 Legislation Page

 Food Standards Agency website

3. Country of origin

Composite products containing meat products must come from a country 

approved to export that type of meat product to the EU;

Composite products containing half or more of their substance of any one 

processed POAO other than meat products must come from a country 

approved to export that POAO to the EU;

Composite products containing no meat products and less than half of their 

substance of processed milk where the composite products do not meet the 

requirements of Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC must come 

from a country approved to export milk to the EU.

Lists of approved countries are laid down in:

 Commission Decision 2007/777/EC – meat products

 Regulation (EU) No 605/2010 – milk and dairy products;

 Regulation (EC) No.798/2008 – eggs products;

 Commission Decision 2006/766/EC – fishery products;

 Commission Decision 2003/812/EC – frogs‟ legs, snails, gelatine

 Commission Decision 2011/163/EC – honey and Royal jelly

Meat products and dairy products used in composite products must come 

from:

 The same country as the composite product; or

 An EU country; or

 Another third country that has a similar health status ie meat products 

can only come from an „A treatment‟ country (Decision 2007/777/EC) 

and go to another „A treatment‟ country; dairy products can only come 

from one „column A‟ or „column B‟ country (Regulation (EU) No 

605/2010) where the third country in which the composite product is 

produced is also authorised under the same conditions. 

 Legislation Page

4. Approved establishments
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.

The following POAOs must come from an approved establishment:

 Any meat product;

 Any other processed product of animal origin (other than those POAOs 

where the pure product does not have to come from an EU approved 

establishment eg eggs, honey etc) where the POAO makes up half or 

more of the substance of the composite product; and

 Milk 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 milk in the product. 

Consolidated lists of approved establishments are available on the European 

Commission‟s website. 

 Third countries establishment list

5. Health certification/documentation

The health certificate for composite products containing processed meat, milk, 

fish and eggs is laid down in Regulation (EU) No 468/2012. 

The health certificates for composite products containing any other processed 

POAO as indicated in Article 3.3 of Regulation (EU) No 28/2012 are laid down 

in other relevant EU legislation. Where no health certificate is laid down, the 

consignment should be accompanied by a commercial document.

 Regulation (EU) No 468/2012;

 Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 – frogs‟ legs, snails, gelatine, collagen 

and honey.

For a transitional period until 31 December 2012, consignments of composite 

products accompanied by certificates issued before 1 October 2012 in 
accordance with the models set out in Annexes I and II to Regulation (EU) No 

28/2012 before the amendments introduced by Regulation (EU) No 468/2012 

may continue to be introduced into the Union.

 Legislation Page

6. When to use the health certificate

The following composite products must be accompanied by a health 

certificate or commercial document as appropriate. Composite products 

containing:

 any amount of processed meat product as referred to in article 4(a) of 

Decision 2007/275/EC;

 half or more of any one processed POAO as referred to in article 4(b) 

of Decision 2007/275/EC;

 less than half of their substance of processed milk product where the 

final composite products do not meet the requirements of Article 6 of 

Commission Decision 2007/275/EC as referred to in article 4(c) of 

Decision 2007/275/EC.

 Legislation Page

7. Health and identification marks

Composite products do not have to bear an identification mark. However if 

the final product is manufactured in an EU approved establishment it may 

have an identification mark in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. 

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.

8. Specified risk material (SRM)

Composite products containing meat derived from bovine, ovine or caprine 

animals must meet the relevant requirements of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 

as amended, which lays down the rules for the prevention, control and 

eradication of TSEs.
In addition, Commission Decision 2007/453/EC categorises the countries or 

regions, according to their BSE risk.

 Regulation (EC) No 999/2001

 Commission Decision 2007/453/EC

9. Veterinary checks

Composite products referred to in Article 4(a), (b) and (c) of Commission 

Decision 2007/275/EC (see flowcharts for further information) are subject to 

veterinary checks at Border Inspection Posts (BIPs). 

Consignments must be pre-notified in accordance with The Trade in Animals 

and Related Products Regulations 2011 to the relevant BIP before arrival in 

the country, by completion of Part I of the Common Veterinary Entry 

Document (CVED) or by electronic means, as agreed with the BIPs 

competent authority. 

 Further guidance on veterinary checks on products

 Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011

10. Composite products not subject to veterinary checks

The following composite products are not subject to veterinary checks:

 Those listed in Annex II of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC; and

 Those composite products that meet the requirements of Article 6 of 

Commission Decision 2007/275/EC (which includes the requirement that 

they are shelf stable at ambient temperature or have clearly undergone in 

their manufacture a complete cooking or heat treatment process 

throughout their substance, so that the raw product is denatured).

11. Iceland/Norway/Liechtenstein/Switzerland 

The EU has International Agreements with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and 

Liechtenstein, which means that they implement EU veterinary legislation in 

relation to the movement of animal products. Therefore animal products from 
these countries must comply with the same requirements applying to animal 

products from Member States. They are not subject to veterinary checks.

12. Safeguard measures

Situations where emergency safeguard action has been taken, at very short 

notice, to prohibit or restrict the importation of certain animals/products from 

certain countries following an outbreak of serious disease in those countries 

may not be covered. Importers are advised to contact the AHVLA to check if 

any action has been taken in relation to the current status of any particular 

country. Details of safeguard measures can also be found in our Declarations 

and Customer Information Notes.

 Declarations

 Customer Information Notes

Alternatively you can keep up to date with amendments to legislation by 

checking the European Commission‟s website.

 European Commission‟s website

13. European Union legislation 

Consolidated texts, which integrate the basic instruments of Union legislation 

with their amendments and corrections in a single, non-official document, are 

available. Each consolidated text contains a list of all legal documents taken 

into account for its construction.

 Consolidated Texts

Texts provided in this section are intended for information only. Please note 

that these texts have no legal value. For legal purposes please refer to the 

texts published in the „Official Journal of the European Union‟.

For non-consolidated legislation, please use the simple search option on the 

European Commission‟s website.

 Non-Consolidated Legislation 
14. Contact for general information on import requirements

 Contact point for further enquiries (AHVLA)

 Food Standards Agency

15. Contacts for other important advice and guidance

Importers should note that the information given relates only to animal health 

and public health conditions of import. It does not give guidance on other 

conditions that may need to be met.

The information sheet below gives details of other organisations you may also 

need to consult.

 Information Sheet