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Importing composite products

Commission Decision 2007/275/EC defines a composite product as a foodstuff intended for human consumption that contains both processed products of animal origin and products of plant origin, examples of composite products include cheese and pepperoni pizza, salmon and broccoli quiche, mayonnaise (made with pasteurised egg).

A composite product will be subject to veterinary checks at a Border Control Post if:

  • it contains a processed meat ingredient
  • its total food of animal origin content is greater than or equal to 50 %
  • it contains less than 50 % of any other (i.e. not meat) processed food of animal origin and does not meet the criteria for the derogations or exemptions in  Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC

Composite products subject to veterinary checks must give at least 24 hours notice prior to the arrival of the consignment at the Border Control Post. They must be accompanied by a composite product health certificate.  Further details are available on the DAFM website.

Exemptions

Commission Decision 2007/275/EC grants an exemption from veterinary checks on import to composite products that meet certain criteria:

or

they contain less than 50 % of any processed food of animal origin other than meat and they meet all the conditions laid down in Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC, i.e.  

  1. shelf-stable at ambient temperature or has undergone in its manufacture a complete cooking or heat treatment process throughout their substance, so that any raw product is denatured
  2. clearly identified as intended for human consumption
  3. securely packaged or sealed in clean containers
  4. accompanied by a commercial document and labelled in an official language of a Member State, so that that document and labelling together give information on the nature, quantity and number of packages of the composite products, the country of origin, the manufacturer and the ingredients;

Any milk product included in a composite product must only be derived from (and treated as provided for in Regulation 605/2010) countries approved by the EU for imports into the EU.