FSA Proposes Amendments to UK Food Import Controls

Credit: The Food Standards Agency of the UK (FSA)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed amendments to retained Regulation 2019/1793: Controls Applied to Imported Food and Food Safety. The proposed amendments are open to consultation from England and Wales food and feed businesses, local and port health authorities, and other stakeholders until July 7, 2022. To officially amend retained Regulation 2019/1793, secondary legislation must be enacted in each country within the UK. The amendments are expected to be adopted in the fall of autumn 2022.

Since its exit from the EU, the UK has been operating under retained legislation from the European Commission while the appropriate authorities in Great Britain amend and review the legislation as required. The proposed amendments follow FSA of England and Wales’ and Food Standards Scotland’s (FSS’s) first joint review of annexes contained in the legislation since Brexit. Decisions and changes to controls of imported food and feed will only apply to Great Britain and not Northern Ireland.

Currently, in Great Britain, most food and feed of non-animal origin can be imported without additional controls, excluding high-risk imports and imports from certain countries, which may only enter Great Britain at appropriate border control posts. Retained Regulation 2019/1973 lists food and feed imports that are subject to additional controls or suspended from entry into Great Britain. Based on FSA and FSS’ risk assessment, the agencies have developed a set of recommendations concerning commodities that should be added to the list of imports that are subject to additional controls, commodities that should be removed from the list, and commodities that should be checked more or less frequently than they are at present.

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