Common Health Entry Document (CHED)

This glossary term is part of the SG Systems Global regulatory & operations guide library.

Updated January 2026 • UK Imports & Official Controls • CHED, IPAFFS linkage, border clearance readiness, consignment identity, documentary/identity/physical checks, sampling and detention escalation, seal and temperature evidence, traceability continuity • Food & Feed Supply Chain (importers, distributors, cold stores, 3PLs, manufacturers, private label)

Common Health Entry Document (CHED) is the structured entry document used in official controls for certain regulated consignments, capturing key data about the goods and supporting risk-based checks at the border. Operationally, a CHED is not “just paperwork.” It is the structured representation of your consignment in the border control system: it ties together the who/what/where of the load—consignor, consignee, origin, product description, quantities, transport details, supporting certificates where applicable—and it becomes the reference point used to decide which checks will be performed and whether the consignment can be cleared.

This matters because CHED accuracy is directly connected to clearance speed. If CHED data doesn’t reconcile with the physical load (labels, lot codes, pallet contents) or with supporting documentation (certificates, declarations, transport records), the authority has no choice but to treat the consignment as uncertain. Uncertainty triggers friction: queries, holds, documentary rework, identity checks, physical checks, and potentially sampling. And once a consignment is held, cold chain confidence and delivery commitments start to degrade, even if the product itself is fine.

Tell it like it is: CHED failures are usually master data and identity failures. Wrong quantities, inconsistent product descriptions, swapped references, mixed pallets without clean lists, relabeling without mapping—these are not exotic problems. They’re predictable outcomes of building the CHED from “planned shipment” data instead of “actual loaded pallet” data. If you want predictable imports, CHED fields must be bound to scan-confirmed shipment contents and stable internal lot identity, not to optimistic paperwork assembled at the end.

“CHED is the border’s version of your shipment. If your version doesn’t match the pallet, clearance becomes investigation.”

1) What a CHED represents operationally

A CHED is the border system’s structured record of your consignment. It is used to coordinate and document official controls and to support clearance decisions. Operationally, it acts like a master “shipment header” with regulatory significance: if it is wrong, everything downstream becomes harder—because checks are based on CHED truth.

Tell it like it is: if your CHED is built from guesses, your clearance will be built from delays.

2) Why CHED accuracy drives clearance outcomes

CHED accuracy matters because it determines whether authorities can validate the consignment efficiently. Border checks are built to detect uncertainty. If the CHED is incomplete or inconsistent, the system must dig deeper: more questions, more checks, more delays. And delays are not neutral—they degrade cold chain confidence and disrupt customer commitments.

Tell it like it is: a clean CHED doesn’t guarantee instant clearance, but a messy CHED guarantees friction.

3) Critical CHED fields that must match the load

CHED content varies by category, but operationally the same field groups cause most failures: product identity, quantity/weight totals, origin/parties, transport details, and references that link to other documents.

The takeaway: CHED correctness is mostly reconciliation discipline, not heroics.

4) Linkage: CHED references → border checks → internal receipt lots

CHED is the anchor for border control records, but your business still needs to operate the inventory after clearance. That requires a clean mapping from CHED/consignment references to internal receipt lots. If you relabel or repalletise, you must preserve old-to-new mapping as controlled events. Otherwise, downstream traceability becomes fragmented.

Tell it like it is: border clearance without internal mapping is borrowed time. The first alert will expose the gap.

5) Identity control: pallet/case lists, lots, and marks

Identity control means you can prove what is on the pallet and how it ties to documents. The most important operational artifact is a reconciled pallet/case list that matches CHED totals and matches physical labels. If mixed pallets are present, the contents must still be provable at the handling-unit level.

Tell it like it is: “mixed pallet” is not a problem. “mixed pallet with no proof” is.

6) Condition control: seals and cold chain proof

Condition evidence is often the difference between quick clearance and deeper inspection. Seal numbers, verification records, temperature logs, and alarm handling closure provide integrity proof. Without it, authorities can’t rule out compromised product, so they escalate checks.

Tell it like it is: if you can’t prove conditions, you can’t argue integrity.

7) Evidence pack: what to have ready before arrival

A CHED-ready evidence pack should be assembled before the consignment arrives. Minimum contents:

• CHED draft data reconciled to the planned load
• Reconciled pallet/case list with lot codes and quantities
• Supporting document references that map cleanly to CHED fields
• Seal and temperature evidence linked to shipment IDs
• Receiving mapping plan binding CHED/consignment IDs to internal lots
• Rapid contact map (broker, supplier QA, haulier, internal QA)

Tell it like it is: if your evidence pack is built after the first query, you’re already in delay mode.

8) Exception handling: correcting without breaking traceability

Corrections happen. The operational requirement is that corrections are controlled and traceable. If a CHED field needs correction, you must preserve what changed, why, and how the corrected value maps to the physical load. Quiet fixes create identity fracture and future recall risk.

Tell it like it is: an exception handled cleanly can be survivable. An exception handled quietly becomes a future incident.

9) Copy/paste CHED readiness scorecard

Use this as a blunt self-check. If several answers are “no,” CHED-related delays will repeat.

The objective is simple: CHED truth equals pallet truth equals system truth.

10) Common failure modes that create repeat delays

CHED issues repeat when governance doesn’t change. Common patterns include:

• Master data drift (product descriptions inconsistent across systems)
• Quantity drift (short ships/substitutions not reflected in CHED)
• Missing references (linked docs/certificates don’t tie cleanly to CHED)
• Unreconciled mixed pallets (no clean pallet list; unclear contents)
• Cold chain uncertainty (gaps in logs or unresolved alarms)
• Broken internal mapping (CHED cleared but not bound to internal lot IDs)

Tell it like it is: if CHED errors are frequent, your export/import master data and load control are under-controlled.

11) How this maps to V5 by SG Systems Global

V5 supports CHED readiness by making reconciliation and mapping executable: scan-confirmed pallet/case capture, structured receiving records that bind consignment references to internal lots, enforced quarantine when prerequisites fail, and rapid retrieval of reconciled dossiers that align CHED data with physical reality. The goal is predictable clearance and preserved downstream traceability.

Effective support comes from connecting:

• WMS: receiving discipline, lot/location truth, quarantine holds, pallet/case identity
• QMS: controlled exceptions, investigations, CAPA, audit-ready closure
• Integration: linking broker/ERP references and documents into one evidence chain
• Traceability: preserving identity continuity into downstream genealogy and shipping

• Platform overview: V5 Solution Overview
• Inventory + receiving: Warehouse Management System (WMS)
• Quality governance: Quality Management System (QMS)
• Integration layer: V5 Connect (API)
• Traceability overview: V5 Traceability

Tell it like it is: CHED is an alignment test. V5 helps keep alignment intact from document to pallet to lot.

12) Extended FAQ

Q1. Is CHED the same as IPAFFS?
They’re related. IPAFFS is the platform used for certain import notifications and processes; CHED is the structured entry document used for official controls on covered consignments. Operationally, both must reconcile to the same load truth.

Q2. What causes the most CHED-related delays?
Mismatches: quantities and descriptions that don’t match labels/pallet lists, missing references, and weak seal/temperature evidence.

Q3. Why does CHED mapping to internal lots matter?
Because the border identity must persist into downstream traceability. Weak mapping makes future alerts and recalls broad and expensive.

Q4. What should we do when we discover a CHED error?
Treat it as a controlled exception: document what changed, why, and how it maps to the physical load; preserve identity continuity; close with approvals and evidence.

Q5. How do we stress-test readiness?
For a recent import, produce the complete dossier quickly: CHED fields, pallet list, seal/temperature evidence, and internal receipt mapping. If it takes hours, tighten controls.

Related Reading
Reduce border friction with Documentary Identity Physical Checks and Consignment-Level Traceability, prove integrity with Trailer Seal Verification and Cold Chain Integrity Checks, and keep scope narrow using End-to-End Lot Genealogy plus Quarantine.