That day in October, the truck driver planned to spend a maximum of four or five hours at the Sevington border post, in Kent (United Kingdom), to receive his load of fresh products from Belgium. But more than twenty-four hours later, it was still there. “They did not give him information, nor did they give him food or access to a shower”says Phil Pluck, who heads the UK’s umbrella cold chain association, the Cold Chain Federation. When it finally reached its destination, the buyer of the merchandise rejected his cargo, arguing that it had been damaged during the wait.
This type of mishap has become common. Since the beginning of the year, the country has introduced new controls on its borders, as part of Brexit, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU), which came into force on January 31, 2020. Since February, certain products of animal origin (raw milk cheeses, eggs, meat, fish) and plant origin (cut flowers, plants intended for growing fruits or vegetables, seeds) coming from the EU must obtain a health certificate before exporting.
“We had to advance our orders forty-eight hours so that our suppliers had time to obtain this document, explains Cécile Da Silva, head of accounting at La Fromagerie, a mini chain of stores based in London.. In some cases, we have had to hire an agent to help them. » The certificate must be signed by a veterinarian, who can perform a physical inspection if desired.
Added to this are the prior notifications that must be sent to the authorities before the products reach British soil. The administrative burden is such that La Fromagerie now dedicates a full-time position to him, divided among four employees.
Crop in danger
In early May, the government beefed up the system with physical inspections at border crossings. But there are not enough inspectors, there is a lack of laboratories and the computer systems are not prepared. “As a result, only 1% to 2% of cargoes are inspected”said Mr. Pluck. In some cases, samples had to be sent to laboratories in Germany.
The rare inspections that are carried out unfold in chaos. “Only the Sevington border post has inspectors who can carry out checks after 5pm and on weekends., details Nigel Jenney, who heads the umbrella association Fresh Produce Consortium. Knowing that most fresh produce imports take place overnight, so that they can be transported early in the morning to wholesale markets, this forces all trucks to pass through there, creating a bottleneck. » The wait can last up to ninety-six hours, a disaster for perishable products.
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