Importing POAO into the UK

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Importing products of animal origin into the United Kingdom

Alinea Customs provide a step by step guide to customs administration when importing meat, fish and dairy products, export health certification, IPAFFS, border control posts, and common user fees.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls and the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM)

Alinea Customs provide specialist insight into the implementation of the import controls on goods covered by sanitary and phytosanitary legislation, newly impacting goods imported from the European Union from 31 January 2024. We can act on behalf of your company to use IPAFFS to generate a Common Health Entry Document (CHED) and manage the import process.

You must notify the competent authorities in advance of a consignment arriving in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), when it includes:

products of animal origin (POAO) – such as dairy products (cheese, milk, yoghurt), eggs, meat, fish and products containing these.
composite food products – such as pizza, pies and lasagne – that are not exempt from import controls
regulated plants and plant products
live animals – such as livestock (cattle, chicken, turkey, sheep, pigs, horses and more), fish or ornamental fish (not for consumption).
germinal products – such as semen, embryos, oocytes collected or produced from breeding animals for the purpose of assisted reproduction.
animal by-products (ABP) – such as animal manure, feathers, skin and bones, blood, fat and offal not for human consumption. high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (HRFNAO) – such as ground nuts, raisins and herbs from certain countries.
high risk food and feed not of animal origin

Register With Us

To set up an account with Alinea Customs, or to request further information regarding UK customs clearance.

The following procedures are involved as identified by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra):

Risk Assessment

Determine the risk category of the products that you trade in. Low risk animal commodities will not need an Export Health Certificate (EHC).

If your consignment is in the low BTOM risk category Use the import of products, animals, food and feed system ( IPAFFS ) to notify authorities before the goods arrive in Great Britain.

Check the risk category HERE

Log In

Log into the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) system to complete the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) Part 1 import notification for EU imports of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) animal by-products and germinal products, and High Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin (HRFNAO) to/via Great Britain with information concerning areas including the classification, weight, country of origin, consignor, consignee, and port of entry.

Acquire Certificate

Ensure that your EU supply chain is preparing to provide you with health certificates and/or phytosanitary certificates – find out more here, using There is a certified by EU approved establishments, and send them the Unique Notification Number (UNN) concerning the consignment to attribute to the certificate prior to export.

Submission

Complete the IPAFFS entry a minimum of one working day prior to entry by uploading the certificate, to finalise the CHED and lodge a pre-notification at the relevant Border Control Post (BCP). Notifications can be submitted up to 30 days in advance of the consignment’s arrival.

Customs Declaration

Provide the import notification reference number to your customs agent to reference on the customs declaration.

Physical Checks

The haulier must be prepared to undertake physical checks at the relevant border control post on entry, if selected. Sevington Inland Border Facility (IBF) is the designated destination for checks on goods entering the UK market from Calais or Dover.

Make Payment

Pay the invoice for the common user charges per CHED to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs monthly in arrears. The maximum charge for one CHED is limited to 5 commodity lines, even if there are more than 5 commodity lines present in the CHED.