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9 hours ago
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Tourists from Great Britain who travel to the continent to satisfy their epicurean desires for cured meats and fragrant cheeses will be frustrated in their attempts to bring home some of their favourite foods after a ban on meat and dairy imports from EU countries came into force this weekend.
From Saturday, holidaymakers will no longer be able to bring meat from cattle, sheep, goats or pigs, or dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use, in a move aimed at preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after a rise in cases across Europe.
Even those attempting to bring sandwiches with offending items such as cheese and ham will be stopped by customs and excise. Cured meats, raw meats and milk are off limits regardless of whether they are packed, packaged or have been bought at duty-free.
FMD does not directly affect humans, but it can be devastating to cattle, and while there are no cases in the UK at present, the government wants to keep it that way.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, sheep, pigs, and other cloven-hoofed animals such as wild boars and deer.
In a statement, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the outbreak in Europe “presents a significant risk to farm businesses and livestock”. The disease 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”, it added.
Earlier this year, the government placed bans on imports of cattle, sheep, other ruminants, pig meat and dairy products from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria in response to outbreaks of FMD in those countries.
The new restrictions apply only to travellers arriving in Great Britain and will not be imposed on personal imports arriving in Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
The minister for food security and rural affairs, 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.”
The UK deputy chief veterinary officer for international and trade affairs, Jorge Martin-Almagro, said: “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.”
Martin-Almagro urged livestock keepers to keep an eye out for signs of disease, maintain biosecurity, and immediately report any suspicion of disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
There are exemptions from the new rules, including a limited amount of infant milk, medical foods, and certain composite products such as chocolate, confectionery, bread, cakes, biscuits and pasta.
The government said: “Those found with these 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.”
