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Find about about post-Brexit trade for food export businesses in North Yorkshire.
The UK has left the European Union (EU) and become a ‘third country’, which means UK products are now imports into the European Union.
If a business has customers in the European Union, they are importers and will need to be assured that the products supplied meet European Union importation requirements.
The UK Government’s website has more information on food and drink businesses working with the European Union.
Food Export Certificates
Any food business registered with us that exports food and drink products may be required to provide an Export Health Certificate (EHC) by the country of destination. An Export Health Certificate confirms that the specific business and the food produced for export is produced in compliance with all relevant legislation and does not present a risk to health.
Export Health Certificates can be provided for fishery and composite products and products not of animal origin (PNOAO) for export to the European Union (EU) and other countries. Certificates cannot be issued for Foods of Animal Origin (FOAO) apart from fish and fishery products.
Foods of Animal Origin must be certified by an Official Veterinary Inspector (OVI). You can find details of local OVI’s on the UK Government EHC Online website.
Certificates can only be supplied to businesses registered within North Yorkshire and we may need to inspect your business and/or the product to verify compliance with relevant legislation. We reserve the right to decline certification if your premises, hygiene standards and practices fail to meet food safety legal standards.
If you are commercially exporting food from the UK, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any requirements or restrictions which apply.
Certain composite products may be exempt from EHC requirements, including confectionery, pasta, bread and biscuit products which meet certain criteria.
Find out if your product is exempt using the Composite Products Decision Tree on the Defra website.
All Export Health Certificates must be applied for using the UK Government's Export Health Certificate online service.
Apply for an Export Health Certificate on GOV.UK
There are different certificate templates for product exports to the EU, China, Hong Kong and Canada - you can find specific certificate templates on GOV.UK
Export Health Certificates are issued within five working days of request and can be provided in both physical and digital format. This is a chargeable service and payment is paid via quarterly invoice.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your Export Health Certificate request meets all criteria of the consignment destination and that all information is correct. Re-requests are chargeable and urgent requests may incur additional costs.
Please contact your local Food Safety Team on 0300 131 2 131 for further guidance.
Export guidance from GOV.UK
- Apply for an Export Health Certificate on GOV.UK
- Find out how to export or move composite food products on GOV.UK
- Find out how to export goods from the UK: step by step on GOV.UK
There is a pre-recorded webinar covering Export Health Certificate online: Exporter Registration, produced by Defra:
High-risk foods of non-animal origin
High-risk products of non-animal origin listed in EC 2019/1793 must be accompanied by an official certificate for entry into the union for food and feed when exported. This also applies when the product has been repacked and must be certified again from the originating country.
Accompanying documentation must be supplied or arranged through the council to confirm that exported products meet specified scientific and legislative requirements. This may require a site visit by the certifying officer.
Certificates are required in English and the language of the recipient country is different. Certificate requests should be completed on the appropriate templates and emailed to your local Food Safety Team at least five working days prior to departure. Certificate templates and guidance is available on the GOV.UK website.
Certificates are issued within five working days of request and are provided in both physical and digital format. This is a chargeable service.
It is your responsibility to ensure that certificate requests meet all criteria of the consignment destination and that all information is correct. Re-requests are chargeable and urgent requests may incur additional costs.
Please contact the Export Certificate Team on 0300 131 2 131 for further information.
- Find out about exporting or moving high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin to the EU or Northern Ireland on GOV.UK
- Find out about high-risk food of non-animal origin on the Food Standards Agency website
General Health Certification
A general health certificate can also be provided to attest that certain food products are produced according to legislative standards, including UK food hygiene law. This type of certificate attests to the premises and provides basic information around the product consignment. This certificate type generally accompanies exports to third countries and exports to the EU and Northern Ireland with phytosanitary requirements.
If you would like further information on this service or to request a template, please contact 0300 131 2 131.
Exporting food from the Scarborough area
Food businesses in the Scarborough area should visit our exporting food from the Scarborough area page for information on exporting fees, applying for an export certificate and requesting a food export site visit.