15kg of pork products, which could have been a potential spreader of African Swine Fever (ASF), were seized at a dock in Hull last month by officers of the Hull and Goole Port Health Authority and Border Force.
The operation was undertook in compliance with the ASF Order of 2022, which saw strict controls implemented around the movement of pork into the UK to help curb the disease. It is no longer legal to bring more than 2kg of unregulated pork product into the country unless produced to EU standards.
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It comes amid continuing calls by the NPA for more robust protection against ASF at our borders, while NFU Scotland has also called for borders to have greater protection to prevent the ‘devastating impact’ of ASF on UK herds. The virus continues to spread in Europe – it was found in Sweden for the first time in September, and there have been significant outbreaks in Balkans countries, alongside fresh cases in Italy and elsewhere.
The operation, taking place at King George Dock, targeted both commercial and personal imports of pork arriving in vans and tourist vehicles. Those coming from ASF-infected areas were prioritised as highest risk for inspection.
Chief port health inspector, Sally Johnson, said: “Monitoring for the importation of pork products that do not meet the requirements of the Order has been implemented locally since the introduction of the Act.
“This was the first joint initiative planned with the specific aim of gaining further intelligence around the incidence of pork products being brought into the country through the port of Hull that do not meet the requirements of the safety measures.”
Ms Johnson elaborated on the success of the operation: “The intelligence gained during the exercise will assist us in focusing our resources and surveillance efforts more effectively to ensure that we are assisting in the protection of animal health nationally by the removal of potentially unsafe meat and meat products at the point of entry”.
ASF poses no threat to humans but can kill pigs within a week of infection. Symptoms include high fever, a loss of appetite and haemorrhages to the pig’s skin and internal organs. More information on the disease can be found here.
