The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has opened a public consultation on amendments to assimilated Regulation 2019/1793, which applies a temporary increase of official controls and special conditions to specified food and feed of non-animal origin that is imported to Great Britain from specified countries. Specifically, the amendments pertain to the regulation’s annexes, which list high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin subjected to enhanced border controls.
Most food and feed of non-animal origin can be imported into the UK without additional, enhanced controls. However, imports of higher-risk food and feed of non-animal origin from specified countries can only enter the nation through appropriately designated Border Control Posts (BCP) where official controls are undertaken, including documentary, identity, and physical examinations such as sampling. A high-risk product is food or feed that is identified as either a known or emerging risk, or because there is evidence of widespread, serious non-compliance with UK agrifood chain legislation. These risks and noncompliances may be due to the presence of pathogens, contaminants, and toxins.