AMS Dairy Program – EU Dairy and Composite Product Certification Programs

AMS Dairy Program – EU Dairy and Composite Product Certification Programs

The Dairy Grading Branch offers services for exporters shipping dairy products to the European Union (EU), Great Britain (GB) and Türkiye (TR). Requirements for GB and TR are comparable to EU requirements and are included within this information.

In order to be eligible for export certificates for products containing dairy/dairy products to these countries, exporters and their product suppliers must participate in the AMS Dairy Program Dairy Grading Branch EU Export Verification Program (EU-EVP).

Important Note: The EU, GB and TR each have strict requirements that all certificates be issued prior to a shipment’s departure date. To avoid complications, exporters should submit applications for these certificates five days prior to the shipment’s scheduled departure date to allow time for processing and certificate issuance.

Approved Facility List Information

In order to obtain an EU or GB certificate, dairy manufacturers must have their facilities listed on a FDA-managed food export list via the FDA Export Listing Module (ELM).

A list of approved U.S. dairy facilities for each of these markets is below: 

• EU: reference the “Raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products” for the United States on the EU’s IMSOC TRACES Establishment Lists website.
• GB: reference the “List of establishments in non-EU countries approved to export animal products to GB…” In the “Data Links” section, select the spreadsheet link, search for US and “Raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products”.
• TR: an online viewable list is not currently available for TR.

EU Composite Product Information

The EU defines a composite product as a food product containing both processed products of animal origin (dairy, egg, fishery products or meat products) and products of plant origin. USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) will issue EU composite product certificates for composite products produced at FSIS-regulated facilities and bearing the USDA mark of inspection. AMS Dairy Program will issue the EU composite product certificates for composite products NOT produced in an FSIS-regulated facility and not bearing the USDA mark of inspection, regardless of whether dairy is an ingredient in the composite product.

Composite Product Details

First, be sure the composite product producer (whose name is on the composite product label) is on one of the eligible EU composite product export list options identified below.

List Option 1: The U.S. facility is identified on one of the EU’s IMSOC TRACES Establishment Lists identified below:

• Dairy-related: Raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products list
• Egg-related: Egg and egg products list
• Fishery-related: Fishery products list
• Meat- or poultry-related (farmed or wild game-related):
  • Meat of farmed game
  • Wild game meat
    • Note: If the U.S. facility is identified on one of the lists below, it is an FSIS-regulated facility. Please contact FSIS to obtain an EU composite product certificate.
  • Meat of domestic ungulates
  • Meat from poultry and lagomorphs
  • Minced meat, meat preparations and mechanically separated meat (MSM)
  • Meat products

List Option 2: The U.S. facility is identified on the AMS Export Eligible Producing Facilities list (pdf).

Alternative List Option: If the composite product-producing facility is not identified on any of the above list options, stakeholders can request to have a firm added to the “AMS Export Eligible Producing Facilities” list. Submit the composite product-producing facility’s name, complete address and phone number, along with the FDA Establishment Identifier (FEI) number to DairyExportsQuestions@usda.gov. The dairy export team will confirm with the competent authority the facility’s eligibility to be added to the list.

Second, verify and ensure the producing facility’s identification number on the composite product’s label is identical to the facility identification number identified on the relevant EU eligible export list. 

Important Note: If the identification number on the composite product label is not identical to the identification number on the export eligible list (which will be identified on the composite product certificate), the shipment will NOT be allowed to enter the EU.   
Finally, verify that all animal-origin ingredients (dairy, egg, fishery and meat products) contained within the composite product meet all of the specific requirements for the EU market. These requirements are summarized in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Dairy Program Reference Document on EU Composite Product Certificates.

Additional Resources:

• How to Apply for an AMS Dairy or Composite Product Export Certificate
• Dairy Program Reference Document on European Union (EU) Composite Product Certificates
• EU import conditions for composite products (europa.eu)
• Import of Composite Products into the EU, Questions & Answers: Version 11 June 2021 (pdf)
• Within the ATLAS export certificate request system EU Border Control Posts (BCPs/ports of entry) must be selected from the names listed on the EU’s webpage: Contact details of BCPs - veterinary (europa.eu)