Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has received representations and information on businesses needing clarification of whether they require an EHC for exports to Northern Ireland and the EU which contain processed animal protein including milk products, gelatine, hydrolysed proteins, eggs, dicalcium phosphate and collagen; and whether he is taking steps to support those businesses.

Defra is in regular discussions with businesses on the Export Health Certificate (EHC) requirements for products sent to Northern Ireland and the EU which contain processed animal protein (PAP).

Mammalian PAP must have been processed in a region which is, under the international rules, in the negligible risk category for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). It must have been processed by pressure sterilisation (known as ‘Method 1’). This means mammalian PAP products from Great Britain cannot be certified for export to Northern Ireland or the EU.

This issue was raised in our discussions with the EU last year and we continue to look at options to negotiate a position on trade.

We continue to hold discussions regularly with the rendering industry. We have worked with other countries to obtain additional export health certificates for PAP, meaning we were able to open markets for these products elsewhere.