Improving imported food controls at London Heathrow Airport

The key proposals are:

• the establishment of a single Food Authority for Heathrow Airport
• an improvement to the flow of information between importers and the enforcement authority, and facilitating a prior-notification system
• an improvement to the co-ordination between enforcement authorities by establishing an airport co-ordinator to facilitate improvements

The review was undertaken as part of the FSA�s response to consumer concern about UK controls on food imports at seaports and airports, and whether or not those controls are sufficient to ensure the safety of imported food in terms of public, animal and plant health. Although an animal health issue and not a public health risk in food safety terms, this concern was highlighted by the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and the view that this may have been caused by an illegally imported animal product.

Following the 2001 FMD outbreak the FSA Board adopted a 10-point plan to address concerns about the implementation of controls on the importation of food and feed into the UK from third countries. The report included a commitment to 'improve local authority administration for Heathrow'.

The Cabinet Office Machinery of Government Secretariat also conducted a wide-ranging review of 'The Organisation of the Government�s Controls of Imports of Animals, Fish, Plants and Their Products'. The review identified problems at Heathrow Airport relating to inspection and movement of legitimate trade in animal products and foods off airport to enhanced remote transit sheds. This may provide a potential route for products of animal origin to be smuggled in under other descriptions of food not of animal origin or other categories of consignments.

With forthcoming implementation of EU Hygiene Regulations and Official Controls of Food and Feed Regulations (due to come into force in January 2006 and January 2007) this is an opportunity to review how the new imported food requirements could be implemented in a practical way at Heathrow Airport. It could also identify any additional measures or procedures needed to ensure appropriate protection of public health.

The remit of the review was to identify how imported food controls are carried out, the problems associated with enforcement, and to identify good practice and make suggestions for improved new ways of working.

This consultation is not accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) because the issues on enforcement have been previously covered in The Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2005 Consultation RIA issued on 31 March 2005. For further information this RIA can be found below. In particular Paragraph 2.18 (page 5) under Risk Assessment, and Paragraph 4.3 Option 2 (page 6) where stakeholders are asked to comment on the estimated costs of the new controls. Whilst the recommendations of this report have not yet been put to the FSA Board, it is presumed that approval could be given for funding this work from existing budgets. However if as a result of consultation and if information comes to light a RIA becomes necessary we will produce one.

We are interested in what you think of this consultation and welcome any feedback on the consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the attached consultation feedback questionnaire.

If you would like to be included on future FSA consultations on other topics, please advise us of those subject areas that you might be specifically interested in by using the feedback questionnaire below.

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

Consultation feedback questionnaire (Word)

Consultation feedback questionnaire (pdf)

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness our Information Centre at Aviation House will hold a copy of the completed consultation. The FSA will publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name. Disclosure of any other personal data would be made only upon request for the full consultation responses. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Data protection form (Word)

Data protection form (pdf)

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator by email: consultationcoordinator@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk