Products of Animal Origin

Important information about importing Products of Animal Origin (POAO)

Importing products of animal origin (POAO) has potential hazards which all involved businesses should be aware of.

For advice on importing fishery products and live bivalve molluscs please visit the FSA Business Guidance information pages.  

What are POAO products?

POAO includes the following groups:

Human Consumption:

• Animal casings
• Composite products
• Eggs and Egg products
• Fishery products
• Gelatine and Collagen
• Highly refined products
• Honey and royal jelly
• Meat and meat products
• Milk and Dairy products
• Snail meat and Frogs’ legs

Non-Human Consumption (Animal By-products (ABP)

• Apiculture (honey, beeswax/royal jelly/propolis/pollen)
• Blood and blood products
• Bones, horns and hooves
• Bristles, feathers, fur, hair and wool
• Egg products
• Fats
• Fish oil
• Game trophies
• Gelatine and collagen
• Hides and skin
• Hydrolysed proteins, dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate
• Intermediate products
• Manure, fertilisers and soil improvers
• Milk/milk products and colostrum/colostrum products
• Pet food and feed for other animals
• Processed animal protein (PAP)
• Products for Technical and pharmaceutical use
• Research/trade samples and display items

What are composite products?

“Composite Products” are defined in Article 2(a) of Decision (EC) 2007/275 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”.

Food and feed imports arriving into GB are subject to veterinary checks. This includes documentary, identity and physical checks at the Border Control Post (BCP).

Those involved with importing POAO into Great Britain (GB) are required to:

• Notify the Border Control Post (BCP) in advance of arrival of any POAO consignment via IPAFFS (pre-notification minimum 4 hours prior to the estimated time of arrival of the consignment into GB).
• Submit/upload the relevant documentation onto IPAFFS (including a copy of the health certificate, invoice/packing list and CMR (if available) or any other transport document which identifies the Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) and date of loading.
• Pay for all CHEDP charges for the inspection of the documentation and the goods via a PHILIS Finance  Retain the common health entry documents (CHED) issued upon clearance, for one year at the first point of destination of goods in GB phytosanitary (SPS).
• The original Health Certificate must accompany the load.

Transits

There are rules concerning the transiting of products of animal origin from one third country to another third country, and transiting GB (England, Scotland and Wales), known as 'landbridge' movements. Information on transits has been provided by DEFRA