The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has warned that the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) guidance on increased controls on so-called “high-risk” imports of certain fresh produce is belated and inadequate.
The FSA’s final guidance notes were published on 31 December 2009, just three weeks before the implementation of the regulation on 25 January 2010.
The FPC fears that the published guidance will not provide the industry with sufficient information to comply with new EU regulations and to continue to deliver high-quality fresh produce to meet its customers’ requirements.
FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney said: “Over the course of last year, the FPC pressed for detailed guidance well in advance of the implementation date to allow the fresh produce industry sufficient time to meet the requirements of the new regulation. To receive incomplete guidance at this stage is wholly unacceptable.”
Jenney complains that the FSA has failed to address key points raised by the FPC, including the duplication of pre-notification of imports with additional costs and effort by the industry; disruption and delays affecting importers/agents pending completion of checks; and the cost to the industry to cover imposed inspection charges, sampling and residue testing, additional storage costs, damage and loss of products, and their disposal.
He said: “The fresh produce industry is already required to provide prior notification and documentation for imports of fresh produce. The FSA’s proposed implementation means that companies will have to complete an additional common entry document for the local/port health authority covering each consignment of high-risk product and pay them for the privilege. This runs completely counter to the government’s objective of reducing the burden on industry regarding importation. We want to avoid unnecessary duplication and have been calling for government departments and their agencies to share information. We believe that the ALV system, which is about to be adopted by the industry, could provide this service without additional effort and costs.
“The FSA’s timeframe for holding fresh produce on average 10-15 days is totally unacceptable, given the highly perishable nature of these products,” added Jenney. “It will result in product being unfit for use, leading to loss of retail value of between £2 million and £5 million each year and unnecessary wastage.”
The regulation introduces increased controls, as defined in annex I of the regulation, setting out the frequency of physical checks and pesticide residue monitoring required for certain foodstuffs from third countries. The list includes bananas, mangos, yard long beans, melon bitter, Lauki, peppers and aubergines from the Dominican Republic; pears and vegetables such as peppers, courgettes and tomatoes from Turkey; and vegetables including yard long beans, aubergines and brassicas from Thailand.
