Moving HRFNAO into Northern Ireland

Moving high risk food and feed of non-animal origin into Northern Ireland

Movements of moving high risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO) from Great Britain (GB) and non-European Union (EU) countries into Northern Ireland (NI) must meet the following conditions: 

  1. Businesses engaged in the activity of importing food need to register as a food business with their local authority and inform the local authority that they are engaged in the activity of moving HRFNAO into NI. You can also update your details if you're already registered as a food business but haven't indicated that you're engaged in the activity of importing food.  
  2. Ensure all food for human consumption moved into NI complies with EU food safety regulations and related requirements. 
  3. Enter Northern Ireland through a Point of Entry (POE) authorised to accept HRFNAO. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) provide a list of NI POE’s.
  4. District council staff conduct HRFNAO checks in NI at the POE. 
  5. Pre-notify the district council staff at the POE when your HRFNAO will arrive in NI using a Common Health Entry Document (CHED-D) on TRACES NT. This must be done at least 24 hours prior to the intended arrival of your consignment.
  6. Include the correct documentation with your CHED-D on TRACES NT:
    • For HRFNAO listed in Annex I the correct documentation, this includes commercial documentation (such as invoices and packaging lists that supports the information declared in Part I of the CHED). 
    • For HRFNAO listed in Annex II, this includes an export health certificate (EHC) relevant to each consignment. The EHC is signed by an authorised officer of the local authority in GB from where the food is despatched. Defra have provided guidance on EHCs.

If you've imported a consignment of HRFNAO into GB, split this consignment and intend to move part of the original consignment to NI, you'll require new official certification for the consignment destined for NI. This may include a new certificate of analysis (CoA) from an official laboratory (it may take between 3-7 days for a laboratory to provide sampling results). The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have been preparing for the Official Certification to occur in GB for such a scenario. Food businesses/importers should follow exporting or moving high risk food and feed of non-animal origin to the EU or NI guidance.

If your consignment is part of a groupage consignment, that is a commercial grouping of multiple consignments within a single sealed trailer or container (e.g. a single vehicle collecting multiple distinct consignments from different suppliers, at different locations), then you should be aware of the DAERA Groupage Guidance.

Temporary increased controls

There are temporary increased controls for some HRFNAO from certain non-EU countries (including those imported into GB and moved into NI). This is due to a known or emerging risk, or because of widespread non-compliance with food law. 

You can find a list of the food of non-animal origin subject to a temporary increase of controls at points of entries in Annex I of the relevant legislation. This list is reviewed at least twice a year.

For food that has these specific import requirements the person responsible for the consignment must include commercial documentation (such as invoices and packaging lists that supports the information declared in Part I of the CHED) in your CHED-D.

Emergency measures

Emergency measures are in place for a range of food commodities coming into NI if a food is likely to pose a serious risk to human health, animal health or the environment.

Annex II of the relevant legislation lists the foods from certain countries subject to special conditions for the entry into NI due to contamination risk by, for example mycotoxins including aflatoxins, pesticide residues, chemical, microbiological and other contamination e.g. unauthorised dyes, additives. This list is reviewed at least twice a year.

In addition, there are a number of emergency measures under other legislation with import conditions that are specific to each measure:

  • Genetically modified (GM) rice from China - GM rice from China cannot move into NI from GB and can only be imported directly from China into NI or via EU Member States (MSs)   
  • Food from Japan post Fukushima - food from certain prefectures in Japan cannot be moved from GB to NI and can only be imported directly from Japan into NI or via EU MSs 

You can find more details on common restricted foods from certain countries including China and Japan on the NI import requirements for restricted food stuff page

For foods with emergency measures you must have:

  • Common Health Entry Document (CHED-D)
  • Official certificate, also known as an export health certificate
  • Certificate of analysis (CoA) (obtained from an official laboratory)
  • Commercial documentation (such as invoices and packaging lists or bills of lading)

If you want to move products from GB into NI, you can find out how to get the Export Health Certificate and Certificate of analysis in Scotland, Wales and England.