Chilled Minced Meats and Meat Preparations Update

FROM 31 January 2024, imports of certain chilled minced meats and chilled meat preparations from the EU, other EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland to Great Britain, can continue when health certification requirements come into effect.  

These goods are classified as ‘medium risk’ under the Target Operating Model so from 31 January 2024 will require an Export Health Certificate (EHC) to enter Great Britain. 

For further information on risk categories, please visit here and for EHC’s please visit here

Official veterinarians in the EU, other EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland will be permitted to strike through the deep-freezing clauses in the Export Health Certificates for meat preparations and minced meat (bovine, ovine and porcine). This will allow the import of these products in their chilled state to continue.  

We are working with the Food Standards Agency to develop a longer-term policy that we can apply consistently to imports of minced meats and meat preparations from all countries from 30 April 2024. 

We understand that stakeholders require certainty on the import of minced meat (poultry) and mechanically separated meat (porcine and poultry) and we will communicate this as soon as possible. 

Additionally, Defra will be running a series of training sessions to prepare traders for the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import controls (certification and border checks) within the new Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). Please visit here for more information.