Over 20 major importers and agents joined one of Britain’s biggest port health authorities for first-hand insight into health checks being performed on goods entering the UK. 

Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA), a part of East Suffolk Council that inspects imported food, feed and animal-origin goods at the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich for entry into the UK, hosted its first Port Health Stakeholder Forum at East Suffolk House, Melton, as Britain prepares for new checks on EU goods. 

Dale Weeding, business relationship officer at SCPHA who led the Forum, said: “We were delighted to welcome so many people with a vested interest in port health to the first of our quarterly forum. This included freight forwarders like RJJ Freight, logistics providers such as Edge Worldwide and many more manufacturers. 

“We want to show SCPHA is a facilitator to trade as it upholds legislation to protect public and animal health, as well as carrying out controls on organic products and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, while fully supporting importers who follow the UK’s health standards.” 

SCPHA’s panel comprising operations manager Hannah Panting, technical lead Simon Rowell, technical specialist Andrew Robinson and team leader Dan Longson answered questions about new checks due to be introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on EU imports from October 2023. 

Outlined in the draft Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), EU imports will fall into new risk categories which will determine the level of checks required from port health authorities. 

Hannah Panting said: “The draft BTOM includes a projection of 1% to 30% of physical checks being required for EU products, depending on their associated risk levels. Our aim is to understand what products fall within the different risk categories proposed.” 

Simon Rowell added: “Although the EU has similar standards to the UK, we must always be aware of potential threats to biosecurity. 

“Now the consultation period with Defra has concluded we will await publication of the final BTOM.” 

The panel also discussed how SCPHA will begin checking products of animal origin imported to Harwich International Port from June, expanding its current remit of examining products of non-animal origin and intercepting illegal pork found in traffic by Border Force. 

SCPHA said it looks forward to hosting the next iteration of its Port Health Stakeholder Forum on 20th July as organisations are invited to register their attendance for free through Eventbrite.