AMS Dairy Program – EU Dairy and Composite Product Certification Programs

U.S. Export Health Transit Certificates to the European Union for U.S. Military Use No Longer Needed March 28, 2022.

European Union imposition of certification requirements for animal origin items (including dairy, egg, fishery products, and meat) transiting the EU destined for the exclusive use of the Department of Defense (DOD) is inconsistent with longstanding privileges and practices under the 1951 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and related agreements and understandings with EU member nations hosting U.S. military bases.

The DOD has provided animal health attestations for raw meat products like beef, pork, and chicken since 2013 as a measure of respect for host nation health and safety concerns.  DOD has requested that U.S. government agencies not issue certificates for any animal origin products (other than the raw meat products) transiting the EU for U.S. military use (e.g., delivery at U.S. bases).  Effective immediately, exporters with consignments of any animal origin products (other than the raw meat products), dairy, and dairy-related products transiting the EU to U.S. military bases or warehouses should not request AMS dairy export health certificates.

Points of Contact for further guidance/information are as follows:

  • For Defense Commissary Agency- (DeCA-) related shipments: Randy Eller, Randy.eller@deca.mil, 804-734-8000, Ext 86191.
  • For Army and Airforce Exchange Service- (AAFES-) related shipments: Brian M. Guest, Europe Regional Fleet Mgr., Army & Air Force Exchange Service, LG Fleet/Transportation Europe, guestb@aafes.com, +49-(0)72749472-102.
  • For Defense Logistics Agency- (DLA-) related shipments: MAJ Adelaide Green, Food Safety Officer, DLA Troop Support, Adelaide.Green@dla.mil.

Important Note: The EU has a strict requirement that all EU health certificates be issued prior to a shipment’s departure date. Be sure to request EU certificates to allow time for processing/issuance prior to the departure date.

Please note: Within the ATLAS export certificate request system EU Border Control Posts (BCPs/ports of entry) (pdf) must be selected from the names listed on the EU’s webpage: Contact details of BCPs - veterinary (europa.eu)

The Dairy Grading Branch offers many services for exporters shipping dairy products to the European Union (EU) and Great Britain (GB). These services include an export verification program (EU EVP) and the issuance of export certificates.

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

Further, as a requirement to be eligible to obtain an EU or GB Health Certificate, the manufacturers must have their facilities listed on FDA managed  Food Export Lists | FDA via the FDA Export Listing Module (ELM).

To view a list of approved European Union dairy related exporters and ingredient suppliers, reference the “Raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products” for the United States on the EU’s IMSOC TRACES Establishment Lists website

Please note: The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020

Beginning on September 30, 2021, new GB dairy export certificates were implemented for U.S. dairy and dairy composite product exports destined for GB. View the full details of the GB Dairy Export Certificate

Please note that FDA does not have a separate application process for the UK lists; establishments that wish to export to the UK should apply for the relevant EU list in the FDA Export Listing Module (ELM).

List of establishments eligible to export animal products to the UK

The new EU composite products certificates will be available from ATLAS on January 19, 2022.

General 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.

The new EU requirements for composite products will impact stakeholders who have not been required to obtain an export certificate from AMS Dairy Program in the past. Prior to requesting a certificate from AMS Dairy Program, a new customer will need to establish a USDA level 2 e-authentication account. Go to How to Apply for an AMS Dairy or Composite Product Export Certificate for more information.

Dairy Program Reference Document on European Union (EU) Composite Product Certificates

Links to EU references on composite products, including information on private attestations: EU import conditions for composite products (europa.eu)

Import of Composite Products into the EU, Questions & Answers: Version 11 June 2021 (pdf)

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 lists 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 lists
  • 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 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).

If the composite product-producing facility is not identified on any of the above, 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. Please 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 (pdf)

European Union Dairy Plant Lists

Only firms listed on the approved plant list are eligible to receive the USDA EU Dairy Export Health Certificate.

Additional Resources