Import Documents for Food and Feed Ingredients

Most delayed shipments are held for missing or inconsistent paperwork, not for a problem with the product. Agree the document set with your supplier before the goods are produced, and make sure every document shows the same product name, quantity and batch numbers.

Documents every shipment needs

• Commercial invoice: price, Incoterm, HS code and the value customs will use to calculate duty.
• Packing list: number of packages, net and gross weights, and batch numbers.
• Bill of lading for sea freight, or an air waybill for air freight.
• Certificate of Analysis for each batch.
• Certificate of Origin. A preferential certificate can reduce duty where your country has a trade agreement with China, so check before shipping rather than after.

Documents some shipments need

• Safety Data Sheet for any product classed as dangerous goods.
• Health or sanitary certificate, required by many countries for food and feed ingredients of animal or microbial origin.
• ISPM 15 heat-treatment marking on wooden pallets, or use plastic or pallet-free loading.
• Halal or Kosher certificate, where your customers require it.

Regulatory approvals to check first

Paperwork proves what was shipped; it does not make a product legal to sell. Check that the ingredient is approved for your intended use in your market before you order:

• European Union: feed additives, including enzymes and probiotics used in feed, must be authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, and many authorisations are specific to one strain or one production process. Food enzymes are regulated separately under Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008.
• United States: food shipments require FDA Prior Notice before arrival, and importers are responsible for supplier verification under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program.
• Other markets: many countries require the importer, or the product itself, to be registered before the first shipment. Your customs broker will know the local rules.

Tell us your destination country when you request a quotation and we will confirm which documents we can provide with the shipment.