Import risk categories and inspection rates for animal and animal product imports from the EU to Great Britain: summary tables
Updated 19 April 2024
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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The summary tables on this page show the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) risk categories and inspection rates for imports of live animals, products of animal origin (POAO) and animal by-products (ABPs) from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland to Great Britain.
The Faroe Islands and Greenland follow EU SPS rules for certain commodities, such as fishery products. Other imports from the Faroe Islands and Greenland will continue to follow import rules for non-EU countries.
From 30 April 2024, imports will be subject to identity checks and physical checks. The percentage of times identity and physical checks will happen (the inspection rate) depends on the risk category of the commodity being imported:
- high risk category commodities will be inspected every time the product is imported (inspection rate 100%)
- medium risk category commodities will be inspected at a rate between 1% and 30% - read further information on the frequency rates of medium risk commodities
- low risk category commodities will not be subject to routine inspection, but they may be subject to non-routine or intelligence-led checks
Inspection rates listed in the summary tables are for both identity (ID) checks and physical checks, unless otherwise specified.
The summary tables do not give risk categories or inspection rates for specific commodity codes. If you know the commodity code of your product, you can look up its risk category in the BTOM risk categories for animal and animal product imports from the EU to Great Britain: searchable list with commodity codes.
When risk factors are reviewed, commodities may be moved into higher or lower BTOM risk categories to reflect changing levels of risk.
1. Live animals, germinal products and live aquatics
Table 1. Live animal and germinal products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live animals, including live aquatic animals (see note 1) | High | 100% | Live aquatic animals include live fish and animals for ornamental, aquaculture and re-stocking purposes, and their germinal products. |
| Bees | High | 100% | None |
| Germinal products, including hatching eggs | High | 100% | Chilled equine semen will be subject to 20% ID checks until 31 August 2024. |
Note 1
Live aquatic animals imported for human consumption (for example, crabs, lobster or live bivalve molluscs) are categorised as a products of animal origin. The BTOM risk categories for these products are in table 2e. Live fish are categorised as live animals and the categorisations in table 1 apply.
2. Products of animal origin (POAO)
References to Category II in the tables below relate to Annex I of Retained EU Regulation 2019/2129.
Table 2a. All POAO
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| POAO that are shelf stable at ambient temperature | Low (if it meets the listed criteria) | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | The product is low risk if it meets all of the criteria listed below the table. |
Products of animal origin (POAO)
A POAO commodity will be in the low BTOM risk category if it meets all of the following criteria:
- it is shelf-stable at ambient temperature (can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container)
- it has undergone a treatment step or other processing in its manufacture (for example, canning) to eliminate or reduce micro-organisms of concern to an acceptable level
- it is clearly identified as intended for human consumption
- it is securely packaged or sealed in visibly clean containers
- it is labelled in English and accompanied by a commercial document providing information on the nature of the commodity, the quantity and number of packages, the country of origin, the manufacturer and the ingredients
- it is not infant formula or follow-on formula, baby food, or food for special medical purposes
- it is not bivalve molluscs
Table 2b. Composite products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite products | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Composite products currently exempted from official controls under Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC will continue to be fully exempt and will not be placed in the low BTOM risk category. |
Composite products
Composite products have been placed in the low BTOM risk category from January 2024, pending further risk assessments. Any changes to these BTOM risk categories will not take place before April 2024. We will communicate with traders well in advance of any changes to commodity categorisation.
Table 2c. Dairy products and milk
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Dairy products and colostrum-based products for human consumption which are preserved at frozen or chilled temperatures (Category II) – which contain raw milk | Medium M2 | 10% | None |
| Non-raw dairy products and colostrum-based products for human consumption, which are preserved at frozen or chilled temperatures (Category II) - see note 2 | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | For the purposes of the BTOM, ‘non-raw’ dairy products are products containing milk which has been subject to pasteurisation or an equivalent or higher level of treatment (for example, UHT processing). |
| Dairy products and colostrum-based products for human consumption, other than those mentioned in (Category II) | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
Note 2
These commodities have been placed in the low BTOM risk category from January 2024, pending further risk assessments. Any changes to these BTOM risk categories will not take place before April 2024. We will communicate with traders well in advance of any changes to commodity categorisation.
Table 2d. Eggs and egg products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs for human consumption | Medium M2 | 15% |
| Egg products for human consumption which are preserved at frozen or chilled temperatures (Category II) | Medium M2 | 15% |
| Egg products for human consumption, other than those mentioned in Category II | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 2e. Fishery products and bivalve molluscs
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish and fishery products (including crustaceans), other than those mentioned in Category II and other than wild caught fishery products (defined below the table) | Medium M1 | 1% | See the BTOM definition of fishery products below this table. |
| Fishery products from aquaculture and bivalve molluscs for human consumption, which are not in hermetically sealed containers intended to render them stable at ambient temperature (Category II) | Medium M1 generally, but M2 for bivalve molluscs | 1% (Medium M1) 15% (Medium M2) |
See the BTOM definition of fishery products below this table. |
| Wild caught fishery products | Low (if it meets the listed criteria) | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | The criteria for wild caught fishery products are listed below this table. |
Fishery products: definition
‘Fishery products’ are defined in Annex I of retained EU regulation 853/2004 and include:
- fin fish and their products (excluding live fish)
- aquatic animals (for example, crabs and lobsters) or their products, fit for human consumption and imported as products of animal origin (including live or viable aquatic animals)
Bivalve molluscs (live or processed) are treated separately for the purposes of the BTOM and will be medium risk in all cases.
Wild caught fishery products: criteria
A wild caught fishery product will be in the low BTOM risk category if it meets all of the following criteria:
- it is not live or would be unable to survive if returned to the environment (‘not viable’)
- it comes from an approved establishment and is identified accordingly
- it has not been subject to processing, as defined in Article 2 of Retained EU Regulation 852/2004 – for example, by heating, curing, smoking, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of these
- it is accompanied by the required illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) documents, for example, a valid catch certificate and proof of storage and processing, where applicable
- it is not fish that is associated with histamine (that is, species of the families Scombridae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Coryfenidae, Pomatomidae or Scombresosidae)
If it does not meet all these criteria, the fish will be in one of the other ‘fishery products’ commodity types and categorised as medium risk.
Fishery products that have undergone an operation affecting their anatomical wholeness (for example, gutting, heading, slicing, filleting or chopping) and otherwise meet the definition of an ‘unprocessed product’ outlined in Article 2 of Retained EU Regulation 852/2004 (including if they have been chilled or frozen), may still be classed as wild caught if the other criteria listed above apply.
Table 2f. Gelatine, collagen and highly refined products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatine and collagen for human consumption | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Highly refined products for human consumption | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 2g. Honey and apiculture products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Apiculture products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Honey | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 2h. Meat and meat products including minced meat, meat preparations and mechanically separated meat
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Bovine meat and meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Ovine, caprine and camelid meat and meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Soliped meat and meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Porcine meat and meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Poultry meat and meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Rabbit meat, game meat, and their meat products for human consumption | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Rendered animal fat and greaves for human consumption | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 2i. Other POAO
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infant formula, follow-on formula, food for special medical purposes (FSMP) and baby food | Medium M2, regardless of product type | 10% | Medium risk due to the vulnerability of the intended consumers. Composite products currently exempted from official controls under Article 6 of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC will continue to be fully exempt. |
3. Animal by-products (ABP)
In these tables, the commodities listed are all subject to the import requirements laid down in Annex XIV to Regulation (EU) No. 142/2011. This is except for the requirement for a certificate or model document, where the BTOM rules take precedence.
The inspection rate for any medium risk ABP commodities not listed in these tables will be 1 %.
Table 3a. Animal protein
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrolysed protein for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Hydrolysed protein for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Processed animal protein (terrestrial, aquatic or insects) not for human consumption, for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Animal protein (insects) not for human consumption, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Processed animal protein not for human consumption, for use outside the feed chain | Medium M1 | 1% |
Table 3b. Blood and blood products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Treated blood and blood products, for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Treated blood and blood products from equine, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Untreated blood and blood products from equine, for use outside the feed chain | Medium M2 | 15% |
| Treated blood and blood products excluding equine, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Untreated blood and blood products excluding equine, for use outside the feed chain | Medium M2 | 15% |
Table 3c. Fats
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat derivatives for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Channelling required (see note 3) |
| Fat derivatives for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Rendered animal fats not for human consumption, for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Rendered animal fats not intended for human consumption, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Channelling required (see note 3) |
Table 3d. Gelatine and collagen
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gelatine or collagen not intended for human consumption, for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Gelatine or collagen not intended for human consumption, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Channelling required for photogelatine (gelatine for use in the photographic industry) (see note 3). |
Table 3e. Hides and skins
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Treated hides and skins (excluding items not subject to any import restrictions) | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Untreated hides and skins | Medium M2 | 15% |
Table 3f. Horns, hooves, bones and trophies
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treated game trophies or other preparations of birds and ungulates consisting of entire parts, which are subject to import restrictions | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Further guidance and import conditions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/6A. Items not subject to import restrictions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/6C. |
| Untreated game trophies or other preparations of birds and ungulates consisting of entire parts | Medium M3 | 30% | Further guidance and import conditions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/6B. |
| Horns and horn products, excluding horn meal, and hooves and hoof products, excluding hoof meal, for production of organic fertilisers or soil improvers | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Channelling required (see note 3). |
| Bones and bone products (excluding bone meal), horns and horn products (excluding horn meal) and hoof products (excluding hoof meal) intended for use other than as feed material, organic fertilisers or soil improvers | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
Table 3g. Milk products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Milk and milk-based products not for human consumption, for use in animal feed | Medium M2 | 10% |
| Milk and milk-based products not for human consumption, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 3h. Pet food and products for the manufacture of pet food
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| ABP for the manufacture of canned pet food | Medium M1 | 1% |
| ABP for the manufacture of dog chews | Medium M2 | 15% |
| ABP for the manufacture of raw and processed pet food (other than canned) | Medium M3 | 30% |
| Dog chews | Medium M2 | 15% |
| Flavouring innards | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Pet food – canned | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Pet food – processed (other than canned) | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
| Pet food – raw (including if frozen) | Medium M3 | 30% |
Table 3i. Phosphate products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Organic dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate, for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% |
| Organic dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate, for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. |
Table 3j. Wool, hair and feathers
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treated feathers | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Import conditions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/22B. |
| Dry untreated wool or hair | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Further guidance and import conditions are set out in ABP/23A. |
| Wool grease or fatty substances derived therefrom (including lanolin and lanolin alcohol), for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | Processed products derived from wool grease that no longer require further processing when they arrive in Great Britain (other than mixing, coating, assembling or packaging before placing on the market), and are intended for the manufacture of cosmetic products, are subject to specific categorisation. This will be confirmed when the commodity code spreadsheet for non-EU imports is published in due course. |
Table 3k. Other animal by-products (ABPs)
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABP outside the feed chain or trade samples | Medium M2 | 10% | Animal by-products included in this category are set out in Import Information Note ABP/8A. |
| ABPs and derived products for laboratory reagent or pharmaceutical use, including the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and laboratory reagents | Medium M1 | 1% | Certain highly processed products are low risk. Products included in this category, further guidance and import conditions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/46. |
| Apiculture products for use in apiculture | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Apiculture products not for use in apiculture | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
| Egg products for use in animal feed | Medium M2 | 15% | None |
| Egg products for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
| Feeder rodents or lagomorphs and feeder chicks | Medium M3 | 30% | None |
| Fish oil for use in animal feed | Medium M1 | 1% | None |
| Fish oil for use outside the feed chain | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
| Intermediate products | Medium M1 | 1% | Certain highly processed products are low risk. Further guidance and import conditions are set out in Import Information Note ABP/20. |
| Manure – processed | Low | No routine inspections, only intelligence-led inspections. | None |
| Pig bristle | Medium M2 | 10% | None |
Note 3
Channelling is where an ABP consignment must be moved directly from the point of entry to the approved point of destination. You must send confirmation of arrival to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
4. Miscellaneous
Table 4. Miscellaneous products
| Commodity | BTOM risk category | Inspection rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hay and straw | Medium M2 | 15% |
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