Exporting processed fruit and vegetables to the EU: labels, contaminants, documents

Producers who sell jam, ajvar, dried fruit, juice or similar plant-based products in European Union countries do not need a special import certificate, but the product must meet EU food law. Products of animal origin (cheese, honey, meat) follow different rules: see the article on exporting animal-origin food.

In short

• Processed fruit and vegetables from BiH currently need no official certificate, because BiH is not on the lists of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 (consolidated version of 30 June 2026). The lists change, so check before shipping. The product must still meet EU food law or conditions the EU recognises as at least equivalent (Regulation (EC) 178/2002, Art. 11).
• The operator under whose name the food is marketed is responsible for the label information. If that operator is outside the EU, the importer is responsible (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 8).
• The label must be in a language easily understood by consumers in the country of sale, and a member state may require its own official language (Art. 15). The letters must have an x-height of at least 1.2 mm, or 0.9 mm on packs smaller than 80 cm2.
• Contaminant limits are set by Regulation (EU) 2023/915: for example 50 µg/kg patulin in fruit juices, including apple juice, and 8.0 µg/kg ochratoxin A in dried vine fruit (raisins).
• Pesticide residues fall under Regulation (EC) 396/2005. Where no specific limit exists for an active substance, the default is generally 0.01 mg/kg (Art. 18).

Who it applies to

Producers and processors who export plant-based products directly or through an importer. Small quantities that guests carry home for personal use are not a trade shipment and are not covered here.

What to do

1. Before the first deal, ask the EU importer which documents they need. If the product is sold under your name, the importer is responsible for the label information in the EU, so they will ask for a compliant label and papers before the first delivery.
2. Put HACCP procedures in place. Under Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Art. 10, imported food must meet the same hygiene rules in Art. 3 to 6 as food made in the EU, and Art. 5 sets out the HACCP requirement. The article on HACCP and food hygiene for small producers in Republika Srpska covers this in more detail. Ask the municipal inspection or the Republic Administration for Inspection Affairs about registering your premises.
3. Make the label comply with Regulation 1169/2011. The mandatory particulars (Art. 9(1)) are: name of the food, list of ingredients, allergens, the quantity of certain ingredients where required (for example fruit content), net quantity, date of minimum durability, any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use, name and address of the operator under Art. 8, country of origin where Art. 26 requires it, instructions for use where the food could not be used properly without them, the actual alcoholic strength for drinks above 1.2% vol. (for example rakija and wine), and nutrition declaration. Under Art. 26(2), country of origin is mandatory where leaving it out could mislead the buyer about where the product comes from, for example if the name or pictures on the label point to another country, and for the meat listed in Annex XI. Specific EU rules may require it for other products too. If you state the origin of the product and its primary ingredient comes from somewhere else, you must also give the origin of the primary ingredient (Art. 26(3) and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/775).
4. Check the rules for your specific product. The jam directive 2001/113/EC was amended by Directive (EU) 2024/1438, which EU member states apply from 14 June 2026. As a general rule, jam needs at least 450 g of fruit per 1000 g of finished product, and extra jam 500 g. Lower amounts apply to some fruits, for example redcurrants, blackcurrants, rosehips and quinces (350 g for jam). The same directive also amends the fruit juice rules (Directive 2001/112/EC) and allows the name "reduced-sugar fruit juice" (at least 30% less naturally occurring sugars). The directive does not cover ajvar (a vegetable spread), so the general rules above apply to it. For other products, ask the importer whether product-specific standards exist.
5. Keep records of suppliers and customers, one step back and one step forward. Under Regulation 178/2002, Art. 18, the importer must be able to identify who supplied the goods, so they may ask you for batch and raw-material data.
6. Before the first shipment, have the product tested in an accredited laboratory for mycotoxins (dried fruit, apple juice) and pesticide residues.
7. For proof of origin, see the article on EUR.1 and the origin declaration. Whether your shipment needs a phytosanitary certificate, check in the article on the phytosanitary certificate and with the importer.

Where to go

• Food Safety Agency of BiH (Agencija za sigurnost hrane BiH), Kneza Višeslava bb, Mostar: phone +387 36 336 950, email agencija@fsa.gov.ba, fsa.gov.ba.
• Republic Administration for Inspection Affairs (Republička uprava za inspekcijske poslove, Inspektorat Republike Srpske): premises registration and hygiene, inspektorat.vladars.rs.
• Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH (Uprava za indirektno oporezivanje BiH): export customs declaration, uino.gov.ba.

Laws and sources

• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers
• Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for contaminants in food
• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on pesticide residues
• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 general food law
• Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on food hygiene
• Directive (EU) 2024/1438 (honey, juices, jams)
• Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on official controls of food of non-animal origin from third countries