Food hygiene inspections

Food export health certificates are required by food manufacturers/exporters who wish to export food to:

• the EU
• non-EU countries
• Northern Ireland (NI)

Certificates for products not of animal origin are issued by us, the Local Authority.

Certificates for products of animal origin are issued via the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Products not of animal origin

If you are commercially exporting food from the UK it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any restrictions and what export conditions apply. You need to do this before food can be exported. Contact the embassy or consulate of the country you wish to export to and they will supply the details and format required for the certificate. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website allows you to search for an embassy.

Please note that we will not supply a certificate unless you have registered your food business with us.

We shall always try and incorporate the wording indicated on your form but we obviously cannot include wording that implies that we vouch for the safety of the individual batch/consignment of food. Our wording normally reflects the fact that your foodstuffs are produced and/stored in premises subject to our jurisdiction as a food authority, and which have been subject to a satisfactory inspection programme.

We reserve the right to decline to issue a certificate if we are dissatisfied with hygiene standards and practices conducted on your premises.

We always try to process requests in a timely manner, however, please note that this is a non-statutory function and therefore requests will be dealt with within our standard 10 working day procedure.

Fees and charges

Apply online - for products not of animal origin

Application form for products not of animal origin

Payment is taken via debit card at the end of this process.

Certificate for products of animal origin

Products of Animal Origin requiring an export health certificate are usually issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

GOV.UK: How to get an export health certificate.

Please note that a certificate can not be issued if you have not registered your food business with us.

Other sources of information

There are a number of Government and industry organisations that can provide further assistance for businesses wishing to export, which include:

• Department for International Trade (DIT) has a remit to work with UK businesses to support them in maximising opportunities in international markets. They have staff based both regionally across the UK and in countries around the world. They are therefore uniquely placed to provide insight into opportunities and obstacles to export. Further information is available on their website, at About DIT and details of their local offices are provided at DIT Office finder
• The ‘Open to Export’ website is a useful additional initial point of reference when looking to export to new markets. You can post questions and find information at Open to Export.
• The ‘Foreign and Commonwealth Office list of foreign embassies: Embassy list
• UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP): UKECP website
• Food and Drink Exporters Association: UKFDEA Website
• Food and Drink Federation: FDF Website
• Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association: NIFDA Website

Please contact the team if you have any further questions.