Banned or restricted products
Some products are not allowed to be imported or sold in the UK and the rest of the EU. For some other products there are restrictions, or the Food Standards Agency has issued advice that they should not be eaten. Details of some, but not all, of these products follow.
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Imports and avian (bird) flu
Following the outbreak of avian flu in a number of non-European Union (non-EU) countries, poultry and poultry products from affected countries can not be imported to the UK and the rest of the EU. Poultry can include chicken, duck, goose, turkey and guinea fowl and so on.
Calabash chalk warning
Calabash chalk is not a conventional food, but is eaten by some pregnant women, traditionally those from the Nigerian and wider West African community, as a remedy for morning sickness. The Food Standards Agency has advised people, especially pregnant and breast-feeding women, not to eat Calabash chalk, because samples tested have revealed high levels of lead.
Jelly sweets import ban
Jelly sweets containing a thickening agent called konjac (E425) are banned in the UK and the rest of the EU. This is because there is a risk of choking. These sweets are widely available in Japan and the Far East.
Kava kava import ban
Kava Kava, a member of the pepper family, is as a traditional herbal remedy for the treatment of anxiety. The herb has been banned since 13 January 2003. This is because of concerns about its toxic effect on the liver. So you cannot import kava kava supplements, or foods containing this herb.
Imports of products of animal origin from China
From 26 July 2005 some products of animal origin can be imported into the European Union from China as long as they comply with specific animal and public health conditions.
Red 2G colouring prohibition
Following a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluation of the food colouring Red 2G (E128), the European Commission has prohibited imports of food containing Red 2G, because the colouring may have genotoxic and carcinogenic effects that can potentially damage cells and cause cancer in animals.
Contaminated spices and palm oils
If you are importing spices from a non-European Union (EU) country you should contact the port in advance. There have been some problems with certain spices being contaminated.
Stevioside import ban
Stevioside is a very strong sweetener, made from the stevia plant. It is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose and has been used for a number of years as a sweetener in South America, Asia, Japan and China. But stevia and stevioside and food products containing them are not allowed to be sold in the UK or the rest of the EU.
Foodstuffs with current EU restrictions
Specific products not of animal origin are currently under harmonised controls in the European Union (EU) that control their importation from specific non-EU countries.
Importing guar gum and food containing guar gum from India
Consignments of guar gum (the thickening agent (E412)), and compound mixtures containing at least 10% guar gum originating in or consigned from India, and dispatched from India on or after 5 May 2008 must be accompanied by an original analytical report that states the consignment does not contain more than 0.01mg/kg of the manufactured chemical pentachlorophenol (PCP).
Sunflower oil from Ukraine
From 3 July 2008, consignments of sunflower oil and products containing sunflower oil, intended for the manufacture of foodstuffs for human consumption, originating in or consigned from Ukraine can only enter the EU if accompanied by a valid certificate certifying the absence of unacceptable levels of mineral oil together with the results of sampling and analysis for mineral oil.