Agency work on imports

Issues, such as the effect imports can have on the health of animals and plants, are dealt with by other government departments.

The Agency has particular responsibility for imports of fresh, dried, cooked, cured and smoked fish, and fishery products such as canned tuna, fish sauces, and prawns. It works closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), agriculture departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Revenue and Customs.

The Agency's Imported Food Division was set up in April 2003 to help improve the effectiveness of how imported-food controls are enforced.

It is working with Agency colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop the effectiveness of controls on imported food across the UK. The Division's work involves:

• dealing with day-to-day enquiries from enforcement officers
• taking forward work on guidance and information for enforcement officers
• developing the audit of imported-food enforcement in local authorities
• developing sampling policies and IT solutions for port health authorities

The Food Standards Agency is taking forward two major projects to improve the effectiveness of how imported-food controls are enforced. These are the:

• 10-point plan
• Step Change project

The Agency's 10-point action programme, established in 2001, sets out ten recommendations for changes and improvements to how the UK deals with checks on imports.

The aim of the 10-point plan is to improve the co-ordination of enforcement action on imports, and the effectiveness of import controls. The ten recommendations are:

1. Bring imports of products of animal origin under the Agency.
2. Improve liaison with enforcement authorities and central government on food safety.
3. Establish an electronic information database for port health authorities with relevant local authority access.
4. Revise guidance for port health authorities and local authorities.
5. Improve training of port health officers.
6. Fund for specific sampling and monitoring.
7. Improve local authority administration for Heathrow.
8. Increase powers for port health officers over personal imports.
9. Restrict points of entry to UK for products which are not of animal origin.
10. Consider introduction of prior notification of imports of products which are not of animal origin.

Many of the recommendations have been addressed, and work is progressing in the remaining areas.

The cross-government action plan on illegal imports of meat, other animal products, plants and plant products is led by DEFRA. It aims to co-ordinate action across central and local government to ensure that rules governing imports of products of animal origin are enforced effectively, particularly regarding illegal imports of meat. This complements the Agency's 10-point plan to reduce public-health risks from imported food.

The Step Change is a cross-government initiative, led by the Food Standards Agency. It aims to improve the co-ordination and delivery of local-authority inspection of foods and products of animal origin at seaports and airports.

The Step Change was set up following a Cabinet Office study on the organisation of the Government's controls of imports of animals, fish, plants and their products. A report of the study can be found below. Ministers agreed at a meeting in May 2004 that a Step Change improvement in imported food control enforcement had been achieved. The FSA's Chairman and the DEFRA Minister Lord Whitty wrote to Local and Port Health Authorities in June 2004 to commend them for their efforts in achieving this enhanced performance.

Achievements of the Step Change during 2003/04 included:

• Successful delivery of a national training programme on the effective control of imported food to all but one UK local authorities (99.75%) including County Councils;
• Development of a prototype database providing authoritative up to date technical information on imported food controls, initially to enforcement officers at ports;
• Completion of a programme of 22 audits (including two pilots) of the enforcement arrangements for imported food of non-animal origin at main ports of entry in England. Food import control arrangements have also been incorporated into a further 3 audits in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland;
• Creation of a dedicated section on imported food on the Agency's website;
• Establishment of an Agency imported food helpline and mailbox to handle enquiries from enforcement officers, trade and the public;
• Provision of £600,000 funding for Port Health Authorities and Local Authorities to carry out additional sampling and surveillance of imported food; and
• Development of an intelligence sharing mechanism with HM Customs and Excise who have now taken the primary role in the detection of illegal products of animal origin imports at borders.

The Agency has published an end of year report on the Step Change. The report entitled 'Achieving a Step Change: summary of work carried out 2003/04' can be found below. It summarises the action taken by the Agency, other Government Departments and local authorities to deliver a Step Change improvement in co-ordination and delivery of local authority inspections on imported foodstuffs and animal products during 2003/04.

There is evidence from the recent survey of local authorities that the Step Change funding of training, sampling and better central co-ordination has enhanced local authority capacity in this area, and will result in sustained improvements in imported food controls.