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Environmental Health

Environmental Health

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Port Health / Imported Food

The Windsor Framework sets out the legal framework for Northern Ireland since the UK’s exit from the EU and provides that Northern Ireland businesses will continue to align with EU Regulations on goods and customs.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in conjunction with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) now operate a new approved Point of Entry designated by the EU to carry out checks on specific categories of goods at the port of Lame.

Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland is required to maintain regulatory alignment with the EU on the application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

SPS goods and certain food contact materials, must only enter Northern Ireland through approved Points of Entry (POEs), each of which has been designated by the EU to carry out checks on specific categories of goods.  

SPS goods brought into Northern Ireland are subject to controls at the Ports. These controls apply to food, feed and materials that come into contact with food such as plastic kitchenware.

These controls are in place to protect human and animal health..

If consignments are not imported in compliance with these controls they could be re exported or destroyed at the importers cost.

Port Health responsibilities include:

High Risk Food Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO)

Products may be considered high risk if they contain, for example, contaminants such as mycotoxins, pesticides, salmonella.

When imported or moved into NI from outside the EU, including from GB, food defined as high risk will be subject to either temporary increased controls or emergency measures. 

Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2019/1793 (as amended) lists and applies increased and emergency controls to High Risk Products of non-animal origin.

In addition to the foods listed in (EU) 2019/1793, the EU have specific import conditions for food:

If you are moving HRFNAO into NI from outside the EU, it is your responsibility to think about the foods you trade, where they originate from and whether they are imported into GB prior to onward movement to NI (either as part of the consignment originally imported into GB or the full consignment).

You can check your traded goods against those foods for which further restrictions apply, as set out on the restrictions page, on the Food Standards Agency website.

You can get more information from the Point of Entry (POE) you will be bringing your food consignment into, or the district council in the area your business is located.

Products controlled by these regulations must enter the EU through a Border Control Post (BCP).

Importers and food business operators must pre-notify Port Health at least one working day before the physical arrival of a consignment by completing Part 1 of the Common Health Entry Document (CHED-D) on TRACES-NT the EU’s online platform for importing HRFNAO.

Guidance on registering on TRACES-NT and completing the CHED’s can be found on the TRACES website at: TRACES-NT webhelp. 

Plastic Kitchenware: Conditions of Import from China and Hong Kong

Controls are in place for imports of polyamide and melamine plastic kitchenware that originated in or are consigned from China and Hong Kong under Regulation (EC) 284/2011.

Europe wide controls are in place as harmful chemicals from plastics have been found to migrate into food.

As a result, consignments must be analysed before they are shipped, and the results submitted to Port Health with a Plastics Declaration (PDD) to confirm that harmful chemicals are below permitted limits.

For more information on the legislation visit the Food Standards Agency website.

Products which are subject to this regulation, can only enter the EU through a BCP, the approved POEs in NI are Belfast Port, Larne Port and Warrenpoint Port. 

Importers and food business operators must pre-notify the Port Health team at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at least two working days before the physical arrival of a consignment by submitting a Common Health Entry Document (CHED-D) on Traces NT.

This should be accompanied by a Plastic Declaration Document (PDD), a laboratory report of analysis and commercial documents for each consignment.

This is also necessary if these goods are imported into Great Britain (GB) and then moved into NI. 

An example copy of the PDD and guidance document can be viewed here:

The legislation also requires that 10% of consignments be subject to a combined identity and physical check.

This involves a sampling process, during which the consignment will be held under customs control, pending laboratory result. 

Organic Import

For an imported product to be sold as organic, it must conform to equivalent standards as EU produced goods, these products are Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007.

All organic products imported into the EU must have the appropriate electronic certificate of inspection (e-COI).

Importers and food business operators must pre-notify the Port Health Authority at least one working day (24 hrs) before the physical arrival of a consignment by completing the e-COI on TRACES-NT.

Importers will then need to contact one of the EU approved control bodies in order to get the e-COI certified. List of UK control bodies.

This e-COI has to be endorsed at the point of entry into the EU by the Port Health Authority.

Fish and Fishery Products for Human Consumption (POAO)

There are strict rules for the commercial import of fishery products, bivalve molluscs and products that contain them, from 3rd countries outside the European Union (including GB).

Larne Point of Entry (POE) is an approved POE for the importation of fishery products. Importers must:

  • Come from an approved non-EU country
  • Be accompanied by appropriate Export Health Certification
  • Come from an EU-approved fishery product establishment, premises or approved bivalve mollusc production area
  • Enter the EU through an officially designated Point of Entry (POE) where veterinary/hygiene checks are carried out by an Official Fish Inspector
  • All consignments must be pre-notified to the Port Health Authority at the POE prior to arrival

To move fish into NI you will need to register on TRACES NT and pre-notify the arrival of fishery products or bivalve molluscs into NI using a Common Health Entry Document (CHED-P)

This must be done at least 24 hours prior to arrival.

Some Point of Entries (POEs) may allow a minimum of four hours pre-notification due to the perishability of fishery products or live bivalve molluscs (LBMs).

You will also need to provide an export health certificate (EHC) and other commercial documents, to accompany the CHED-P

Fishery products and bivalve molluscs have different EHCs.

Additional Fishery Documents

To comply with (EC) No 1005/2008 to control Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, you may need to provide a catch certificate however these are not required for LBMs. For more information please visit the DAERA website.

If you have any queries please email porthealth@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or call us on T: 07423 726691. Our Port Health Office operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week.