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Border Controls

Defra issues timely holiday season reminder on strict personal import rules

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverJuly 16, 20255 Mins Read
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Defra has issued a reminder to the public, as the holiday season gets into full swing, of the strict rules now in place regarding personal imports. 

In April, the government banned travellers from bringing all dairy and some meat products into Great Britain from the EU in response to the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Europe, including in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

This added to restrictions on the personal import of certain EU meat and dairy products that were already in place to prevent the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR).

Defra stressed that the ban, which also prevents the introduction of other harmful animal diseases such as lumpy skin disease (LSD), remains in place to maintain the biosecurity of Great Britain and avoid a potentially catastrophic incursion of disease.

Ahead of the summer holidays, it has set out a summary of what the latest restrictions mean for travellers:

Current restrictions

  • Travellers are currently banned from bringing all dairy products and some meats from the European Union (EU) into GB. These restrictions aim to prevent the introduction of FMD and other harmful animal diseases such as ASF, PPR and LSD.
  • It is illegal for travellers entering GB (not Northern Ireland) to bring with them lamb, pork, mutton, venison and goat meat, and all other products made from these meats or containing them – such as sandwiches and sausages – from the EU, regardless of whether they are packed, packaged or have been bought at duty free.
  • This includes products such as cheese, chorizo, salami, serrano ham, pâté, yoghurt, butter, milk, and sandwiches containing any of the banned meats.
  • The current restrictions were introduced in April in response to rising cases of FMD in Europe, and to protect the health of British livestock, the security of farmers, and the UK’s food security. Restrictions on travellers bringing back certain meat and dairy products were already in place to curb the spread of ASF and PPR in Europe.
  • Travellers are also banned from bringing any meat, meat products, milk or milk-based products into GB from countries outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
  • Border Force will check for prohibited goods as part of customs checks. Travellers found with prohibited items must surrender them at the border or have them seized and destroyed. In serious cases, those found with such may be fined up to £5,000 in England or prosecuted across GB.
  • The government continues to work closely with ports, airports and travel operators to raise awareness of the ban, including via prominent signage.
  • The measures will stay in place until the personal import of affected products no longer poses a significant biosecurity risk to GB.
  • The restrictions do not apply to travellers arriving into GB from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.
  • The measures apply only to personal imports, e.g. goods that travellers bring back with them from holiday. Commercial food imports must undergo other biosecurity requirements, including heat treatments and accompanying export health certificates signed by official veterinarians to mitigate the risk of diseases, such as FMD, ASF, PPR and LSD.
  • More information for travellers arriving from the EU can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-into-great-britain/meat-dairy-fish-animal-products

Foot and mouth disease

  • FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that can lame and, in some cases, kill cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals.
  • FMD can be carried in animal products – including meat, dairy products and some processed food. The FMD virus can stay alive for months and can rapidly spread through contaminated objects and the movement of people.
  • An outbreak of FMD in the UK could result in the culling of large numbers of the country’s livestock, and cost the UK economy billions of pounds in production shortfalls, lost trade and disease control. The FMD outbreak in GB in 2001 is estimated to have cost £15 billion (in current prices) in disease control costs alone.
  • FMD poses no risk to humans and there are currently no cases in the UK.
  • Government experts have assessed the current risk of FMD entering the UK as medium.

Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said: “Diseases such as foot and mouth disease, African swine fever and peste des petits ruminants present a potentially catastrophic risk to the UK’s farmers and food supply. This government will always do all it can to stop that from happening.

“Safety sometimes requires sacrifice, and so we have imposed restrictions on personal meat and dairy imports. These are essential to preventing the spread of disease and protecting the country.”

UK Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for international and trade affairs Dr Jorge Martin-Almagro said: “We extended restrictions on personal imports of EU food products following the rising risk of foot and mouth disease entering Great Britain.

“I urge all travellers to follow the latest rules to help maintain the UK’s biosecurity and prevent a disastrous incursion of disease.”

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Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

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