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A composite product is defined in European Union (EU) legislation as a foodstuff intended for human consumption that contains both processed products of animal origin and products of plant origin. It also includes foodstuffs where the processing of the primary product is an essential part of producing the final product.
Commission Decision 2007/275/EC sets out import conditions for importing products of animal origin that are subject to veterinary checks at Border Inspection Post (BIPs), including certain composite products from non-EU countries, and those composite products that are not subject to veterinary checks. The decision can be found at the link below. The conditions are summarised below.
When veterinary checks are not necessary
A composite product that contains less than half its substance of processed product of animal origin other than processed meat product, and meets the following requirements of Article 6 of Decision 2007/275/EC.
will not need to be imported through a BIP as no veterinary checks will be necessary.
However, if the composite product contains a milk product, then the milk must only come from an approved country as listed in Annex I of Commission Decision 2004/438/EC, as amended by Commission Decision 2006/295/EC. Both decisions can be found at the links below.
When veterinary checks are necessary
Where a composite product arrives from a non-EU country and contains any amount of processed meat products, or half or more than half its substance of a processed product of animal origin, then this product must be imported through a BIP and is subject to veterinary checks.
Where a composite product which does not meet the requirements of Article 6 of Decision 2007/275/EC arrives from a non-EU country then this product must be imported through a BIP and is subject to veterinary checks. This applies even if it contains no processed meat product, and less than half of its substance is a processed product of animal origin
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:
Food business operators are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure any foodstuffs they want to import comply with EU and national rules in place to protect public and animal health. Importers should satisfy themselves that any composite products coming to the UK comply with the import conditions as above and as set out in Decision 2007/275/EC.
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