Newly exempted products include certain cereal-based foods, such as popcorn, corn sticks, and puffs; potato chips and crisps; prepared or preserved vegetables, fruits, and nuts containing honey as the only ingredient of animal origin; sauces containing oyster or fish extracts; certain condiments and seasonings; and confectionery containing synthetic sweeteners.

The European Commission determined that the additional products posed a low risk to human and animal health, justifying their exemption from official controls at border control posts.

The exemptions apply only to products meeting the relevant eligibility criteria and do not remove other applicable EU food safety requirements.

EU Revises Import Requirements for Shellfish Products

Separately, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1304 has amended import requirements for bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates, and marine gastropods.

The regulation exempts live, chilled, frozen, and processed products in these categories from additional import requirements concerning pharmacologically active substances and their residues, contaminants, and pesticide residues. The exemption does not apply to animals farmed in premises on land.

The Commission explained that these animals are generally harvested or produced in natural environments without being provided feed or other substances, unlike animals raised in land-based aquaculture facilities. Therefore, the Commission considered the relevant control plans justified only for land-based production.