We would like to advise readers that Horticultural Marketing Inspectors will be focusing their attention on labelling from next week. The RPA Inspectorate, which now includes Horticultural Marketing Inspectors, has identified that the majority of refusal notices issued for imported fresh produce are not the result of product quality, but of labelling defects.

Statistical information gathered on refusal notices issued for regulated fresh produce at the point of import over the past two years shows that 70 per cent of the action taken has been for labelling defects. With effect from September 11, horticultural marketing inspections carried out at the point of import will be focusing particularly on the enforcement of the labelling requirements of the Marketing Standards.

An immediate Refusal of Entry Notice (HCG 3) will be issued against a consignment where labels do not carry the following information: • Class • Country of Origin • Commodity (where the contents are not visible from the outside of the box) • Variety (where this is a requirement of the standard) • Packer Identity and Address

Where any other aspect of the labelling regulations is missing, the importer will, on the first occasion of the omission, be warned that the consignment will not be refused entry, but the defect will be noted on HMI IT systems. If the same defect is repeated for subsequent consignments, they will be refused entry and an HCG 3 will be issued. The only exception will be where consignments are already packed and ‘on the water’ and cannot be changed.

The list of countries where labelling can be a problem includes the US, Ghana, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Thailand and India.

The decision on where and when to make conformity inspections is based on risk assessment. One of the risk criteria used by the PEACH system is inspection history - relating to both the country of origin and the importer. Importers can influence their risk assessment and reduce the number of future conformity inspections on their consignments by getting labelling right.

The labelling requirements for each commodity subject to the Marketing Standards are available at: http://www.rpa.gov.uk