Regulator targets Heathrow for tougher food controls

The FSA said the new controls will be a chance to review its procedures in preparation for the coming into force of EU's regulations on hygiene and on food and feed. The EU's new hygieneregulation comes into force on January 2006. The regulation on controlling food and feed exports comes into effect in two phases, January 2006 and January 2007. The regulations are part of an EUprogramme to ensure food safety within the bloc.

Under the new proposals, the FSA​ plans to establish a single food regulator for Heathrow and improve communications with importers. Otherrecommendations in the consultation document include the development of a computer system to enable importers to give prior notification of high-risk food entering the country.

Currently a variety of local authorities and regulators are responsible for checking food and feed imports through Heathrow. Currently Hillingdon Borough council shares the regulatory responsibility with four other local authorities, the London Borough of Hounslow, Slough Borough Council, Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey County Council.

HM Revenue and Customs, Defra Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate, Defra Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate and the State Veterinary Service also have enforcement responsibilities for theimportation of food and feed at Heathrow.

"The division of these enforcement responsibilities creates a complex picture in which there are gaps that could be exploited,"​ the FSA stated. "These need to be plugged bysimple but effective controls to deter and detect illegal imports and facilitate legitimate trade."​

Local authorities would still remain responsible for carrying out routine checks on low-risk goods of non-animal origin, under the new plan.

The FSA began a review of its controls on food imports at seaports and airports after an outbreak of cattle food and mouth disease in 2001. The outbreak was thought to have been caused by anillegally imported animal product.

The FSA review identified gaps in the food safety procedures at Heathrow relating to inspection and the movement animal products and foods off the airport to the 120 transit warehouses, where theyare then inspected at the warehouses. Some of these transit sheds handle imported food and feed of non-animal origin from third countries that have arrived in the UK at other south-east airports,including Gatwick, Stansted and Manston.

"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,"​ theFSA stated.

The port operator for Heathrow Airport does not have a unified port inventory system to enable the Hillingdon regulator to identify and hold consignments of food and feed for official control or toenable consignments to be tracked from pre-arrival to dispatch, the FSA noted. A port inventory system logs the arrival and departure of consignments and their progress through the port

There is currently no general legal duty on importers or agents to pre-notify food or port health authorities of the import of food and feed of non-animal origin. from third countries, includinghigh-risk commodities that are subject to emergency EU controls.

Importers only need to notify regulators in advance if they are bringing in organic food of non-animal origin. Such foods are checked and certified at the point of entry into the EU to maintain organic status.

The EU's new food and feed regulation (882/2004​)creates a harmonised regime for the official control of food and feed of non-animal origin imported into the European Union from third countries. The new food hygiene directive (852/2004) due to comeinto force next year consolidates existing EU legislation.

The new legislation places more responsibility on food and feed importers to ensure the safety of their food.