Farming bosses welcome ban on personal meat imports

The National Pig Association said that its members have been long calling for this move in order to strengthen the UK’s defences against FMD and other damaging diseases spreading in Europe, including African swine fever (ASF). 

From Saturday, 12th April, travellers are no longer able to bring cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat, as well as dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use. 

Defra said that the decision aims to protect the health of British livestock, the security of farmers and the UK’s food security. 

This includes bringing items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into Great Britain – regardless of whether they are packed or packaged or whether they have been bought at duty free.   

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, in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries, and Austria due to its proximity to outbreaks in Hungary. 

READ MORE: Calls raised to tighten border controls due to FMD fears

‘Preventing spread of the disease’

Defra further explained that the new EU-wide restrictions will better safeguard the UK against the changing disease risk and provide clear rules for travellers, helping them to comply with the regulations. 

The ban applies to EU countries, European Free Trade Association member states, the Faroe Islands and Greenland and does not cover commercial imports. 

Poultry, including eggs, is exempt from the ban, as are low-risk composite products, including chocolate, confectionery, bread, cakes, biscuits, pasta and food supplements containing less than 20% animal products.    

The new restrictions apply only to travellers arriving in Great Britain and will not be imposed on personal imports arriving from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man. 

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot & 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.” 

UK deputy chief veterinary officer for international and trade affairs Dr Jorge Martin-Almagro, added: “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.”    

READ MORE: Foot-and-mouth disease: Import ban extends to Austria

READ MORE: UK introduces import ban of cattle, pigs, sheep and deer from Hungary and Slovakia

‘Stricter border controls are essential’

NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said: “This is a welcome move by government and something we believe should have been introduced a long time ago to help protect the country against the introduction of ASF. 

“The rules, as they stood, represented a partial ban, which was difficult for travellers to understand and for the authorities to enforce. This should remove the ambiguity and add a further layer of protection to our border controls. 

“However, we continue to stress that those on the frontline of implementing our border controls must be properly resourced to ensure they can do so effectively. 

“We note that the guidance suggests the measures are temporary, but we will be pushing for this to remain as a permanent EU-wide ban on personal imports.” 

NFU president Tom Bradshaw added that a breakdown in biosecurity is one of the most serious risks we can face as a nation. He added that the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in parts of Europe are “very worrying”.

“The government was quick to ban personal imports of related animal products from affected countries, and, with the increase in cases, we’re glad to see the government taking action to extend this ban to all EU ruminant and porcine meat and dairy products.

“While the FMD source remains unidentified in parts of Europe, stricter border controls are essential. The government must now ensure passengers are aware of the new rules and that those fighting illegal meat imports, including the Border Force, have the resources they need to stamp out this practice.

“In an ever more uncertain world, it’s imperative we have a comprehensive cross-government biosecurity plan with the necessary investment behind it and which would place these restrictions on a permanent legislative footing,” Mr Bradshaw concluded.

READ MORE: Defra’s £3.1m boost is not enough to tackle illegal meat imports

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