UK Online Database Removes Mystery Of Food Import Rules
When it comes to food and produce, what you can, or can’t, bring to the UK is no longer a mystery.
Free allowances to bring gifts of alcohol, cigarettes, and perfumes are widely distributed. But what about food products, agricultural products, plant materials? They often fall into a gray area of hard-to-understand regulations. Judging by the number of UK customs inquiries we get from readers, especially as the holidays approach and people want to bring gifts to friends and family, there is still a lot of confusion about it.
But luckily, all of that should change now that the UK government has posted a lot of information and clarifications online. Best of all, they have also published an online tool that you can easily search for.
The UK government website, Bringing Food, Animals or Plants to the UK , is a way to quickly check out the products you are thinking of bringing to the UK. But for a more detailed look, use the Personal Import Rules Database. This comprehensive tool provides detailed information, by country, on hundreds of food products (including animal products) that you can bring to the UK in your luggage, or send there by ordering online.
The database also has information on weight limits. If you bring in honey from most places, for example, it will count as part of a total allowance of 2 kilos (about four pounds) per person in combination with other food items. On the list: live bivalves, eggs and egg products, skinless frog legs, reptile meat, insects and snails (mmm). So if you can bear to leave behind the clams, the boiled rattlesnake, and the chocolate covered ants, you could, in theory, bring in 2 kilos of honey.
And you can bring in a 20 kilos (about 40 pounds) combination of fish and seafood (from most places) that can include live lobsters. How are you supposed to keep 40 pounds of live Maine lobster alive on a transatlantic flight is a good question, but I’m sure someone has the answer.
And just to be clear
At the moment, the rules and regulations outlined in this article are for bringing food into the UK from outside the EU. Basically, you can bring any food product you want, including meat and dairy products, from countries within the EU. How Brexit can change that is something no one knows since October 2018. But with Britain’s full exit to the EU less than six months away, this could be the last holiday season to bring in unlimited amounts of food and drinks from Europe.
Definitive numbers
Don’t even think about bringing meat, potatoes or cheese to the UK from outside the EU.
Dairy products from outside the EU are banned, so there are no powdered milk drinks from Australia or that nice chunk of Cheddar cheese from Wisconsin you were planning to bring to Great-Aunt Felicity. And potatoes or potato products from anywhere (including the EU), even canned, bottled or otherwise, are strictly prohibited. If you get served a bag of potato chips on the plane, eat them before landing or leave them on the plane.
Those restrictions also apply to canned and packaged products. So there is no non-EU canned meat hash or ham, no fries, no cans of potato chips.
There are some surprising restrictions. While you can bring allowable amounts of most US fruits and vegetables, you cannot bring chestnuts. Only chestnuts from the EU and European Mediterranean countries are allowed. So if Grandma makes a delicious chestnut paste for the holidays, leave it at home. On the other hand, if she bakes a medium batch of chocolate chip cookies with chopped nuts baked in them, by all means bring them along.
To find out what you can and cannot bring, simply follow the instructions on the DEFRA Personal Import Rules website. Write the country you are coming to the UK from or where the products you bring come from. Then use the search categories to narrow down the food category and find the actual product. Once you have found what you are looking for, click the button and information, including weight limits, will appear on the screen.
Remember, this is a “personal imports” database. Allotments are calculated for your own private use. Some food products that are allowed but do not have weight restrictions, such as New York bagels, Paris chocolates, are limited by what customs officials consider reasonable quantities. They can use their discretion on this, but if you are bringing in large quantities that could be for resale, your products could be subject to health checks and other trade regulations.
What about the spices?
Only one commonly available herb in some countries is specifically banned by the UK authorities and that is Kava Kava. The ban, reinforced in 2015, is because the herbal remedy, sometimes used to combat stress, has the potential to cause liver damage.
The image is less clear for other herbs and spices. In fact, it is something of a minefield and is probably best left to the professionals who can seek advice from the Seasonings and Spices Association. There are no specific laws or regulations that apply and if they are dried and packed, there is generally no objection. But, individual ingredients, additives, or packaging methods may involve health restrictions or food restrictions. You can find some trade rules for herbs and spices at the Food Standards Agency.
