Last week, an updated Border Operating Model was published by the Government.

The Border Operating Model confirmed that the grace period for Prohibitions and Restrictions (P&Rs) on certain Products of Animal Origin (POAO) imports will continue.

From 1 January 2022, businesses can continue to import the following commodities from the EU into Great Britain until 30 June 2022.

• chilled minced meat (beef, pork, lamb, mutton and goat)
• chilled and frozen minced poultry meat
• mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds
• ungraded eggs
• chilled meat preparations

The UK Government is committed to the highest standards of animal health and biosecurity, and the extension of the grace period for these products presents a low biosecurity risk.

The UK Government will continue to review the biosecurity and public health risks associated with these products, and the future long-term imports policy in this area, which will be supported by scientific evidence.

For further information visit GOV.UK. If you have any questions, please contact: traders@defra.gov.uk

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are Prohibited and Restricted Products?

They are specific goods or products that can be subject to trade restrictions.

These trade requirements, which originate in EU law, prevent or restrict the export and import of certain goods from third countries, where it is believed there is a potential for them to present a level of risk to animal, plant or public health.

Prohibitions and Restrictions already apply to imports from non-EU countries.

As an independent trading nation, the UK now sets its own trade requirements regarding P&Rs, and these decisions will reflect the most up to date knowledge of threats posed by biosecurity risks such as pathogens and disease. The UK operates a risk-based system and P&R is part of this system.

These products were not banned when we were members of the EU, why has the UK decided that they are suddenly a health risk? What’s changed?

As a result of the UK leaving the EU in 2020 and the end of the transition period on the 31 December 2020, the EU is now a third country and is required to follow the same rules applied to all other third countries. Therefore, as P&Rs apply to imports of commodities from third countries, P&R will now also apply to the EU.

The grace period for imports of chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds, ungraded eggs and chilled meat preparations reflect the biosecurity risk status, and to ensure businesses and stock levels are not unduly affected.

GB imports large volumes of chilled minced meat from the Republic of Ireland. What measures are the government taking to ensure that this vital import trade can continue after 1 July 2022?

The UK operates a risk-based system and P&R factors into that. We will continue to assess the proportionality of P&R as it applies to the EU as a third country.

Why have you only provided a grace period for certain P&R goods?

A decision has been taken to temporarily delay the introduction of Prohibitions and Restrictions on certain Products of Animal Origin until 30 June 2022.

The grace period for imports of chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, mechanical separated meat from porcine, poultry and ratite or game birds, ungraded eggs and chilled meat preparations, is to ensure businesses and stock levels are not affected as these products currently present a low biosecurity risk.

It is a continuation of trade we currently have with the EU and the EEA member states, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland and their biosecurity standards have not changed. The biosecurity risk of importing these goods from EEA member states during this temporary period has been assessed to be low.

The easements on chilled minced meat, chilled and frozen minced poultry meat, and chilled meat preparations, what sort of products does this include?

Examples of meat preparations include raw sausages, raw hamburgers, raw meatballs, raw seasoned steak or chicken, uncooked chicken strips and chicken nuggets.

This also includes products such as pigs in blankets (raw sausages wrapped in cured bacon), where if any of the meat components are not fully cooked and have had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added. Other type of products for instance include oven ready seasoned meats such as turkeys or pork joints.

What temperature does the frozen meat preparations frozen to?

Frozen meat preparations must be frozen to an internal temperature of not more than -18C.

Source: DEFRA