The UK government has extended the ban on meat and dairy imports for personal use to protect British farmers from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Travellers are no longer be able to bring cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat, as well as dairy products, from European Union countries into Britain for personal use.
This includes bringing items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into Britain.
This is regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty free.
DEFRA said that there are a limited set of exemptions from these rules, including a limited amount of infant milk, medical foods and certain composite products like chocolate, confectionery, bread, cakes, biscuits and pasta continue to be allowed.
FMD
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) noted that FMD poses no risk to humans and there are no cases in the UK.
However, the department said “it is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals such as wild boar, deer, llamas and alpacas, and the outbreak on the continent presents a significant risk to farm businesses and livestock”.
“FMD can cause significant economic losses due to production shortfalls in the affected animals, as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and dairy.
“The government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries,” DEFRA added.
The department said that the “new EU-wide restrictions better safeguard the UK against the changing disease risk, and provide clear rules for travellers, helping them to comply with the regulations”.
The new restrictions apply only to travellers arriving in Britain, and will not be imposed on personal imports arriving from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.
Those found with banned items will need to either surrender them at the border or will have them seized and destroyed.
In serious cases, those found with these items run the risk of incurring fines of up to £5,000 in England.
Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth.
“That is why we are further strengthening protections by introducing restrictions on personal meat and dairy imports to prevent the spread of the disease and protect Britain’s food security,” he said.
Import ban
UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for international and trade affairs Dr Jorge Martin-Almagro added:
“Following the detection of foot-and-mouth disease in EU countries resulting in a rising risk of introduction into Great Britain, we have extended restrictions on the personal imports of food products that pose a risk in FMD transmission.
“Robust contingency plans are already in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security. This biosecurity measure combined with all others we have implemented are critical to limit the risk of FMD incursion.
“I would urge livestock keepers to continue exercising the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, ensure scrupulous biosecurity is maintained and to report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.”
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer is urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following an incursion of the disease in Germany, followed by an unrelated incursion affecting Hungary and Slovakia.
Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the main signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed.
In sheep and pigs, signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.
Foot and mouth disease is a notifiable disease and must be reported.
