A composite product is defined in 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.
The Regulation sets out import conditions for importing composite products from non-EU countries.
Import requirements apply to composite products containing:
- any processed meat product, or
- half or more of their content of other processed products of animal origin such as milk product, egg product or fishery product.
Requirements include:
- The composite product must come from a third country listed in EU legislation as approved for the product of animal origin contained in the composite product.
- The meat product, milk product, egg product and fishery product content of the composite product must also have come from an approved country and where appropriate from an approved establishment listed on the European Commission website.
- The composite product must be accompanied by the relevant health certificate in EU Regulation 468/2012 if they contain processed meat, milk, egg or fishery product.
- Composite products containing other animal product must be accompanied by the relevant health certificate required for the particular animal content or, in other cases, by a commercial document.
- Composite products where less than half their content is processed milk product are also subject to these requirements except where the conditions in Article 6 of Decision 2007/275/EC are met.
Composite products referred to above are subject to veterinary checks at EU Border Control Posts (BCPs).
A list of BCPs in the UK is available here.
Abbreviations and specifications applicable to the categories of animals and goods for which BCPs are designated can be found at Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1014
A composite product that contains no processed meat product and less than half its substance of other processed product of animal origin is also subject to veterinary checks at BIPs except where they meet the requirements of Article 6 of Decision 2007/275/EC. The milk content must only come from a country approved by the EU for milk.
Other composite products and foodstuffs
Annex II of Decision 2007/275/EC lists some composite products and foodstuffs which are not subject to veterinary checks and these are:
- Biscuits
- bread
- cakes
- chocolate
- confectionery (including sweets)
- unfilled gelatine capsules
- food supplements packaged for the final consumer containing small amounts of animal product (and those including glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosan),
- meat extracts and meat concentrates
- olives stuffed with fish
- pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with meat product
- soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumer, containing meat extracts, meat concentrates, animal fats, or fish oils, powders or extracts.
Read the European Commission guidance on composite products.
