The United Kingdom has announced a ban on individual travelers from the EU bringing meat and dairy products into the country due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease across the continent.
Under the new regulations, travelers will be prohibited from bringing beef, sheep, goat, and pig meat, as well as dairy products from EU countries into the UK for personal consumption. Any smuggled items found at the border will be confiscated, seized, and destroyed.
Earlier this year, the UK government already imposed restrictions on the personal import of cattle, sheep, and other meat products from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, following confirmed outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in those nations. The current ban, however, does not apply to goods arriving from Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
While foot-and-mouth disease does not pose a risk to humans and no cases have been reported in the UK, it remains highly infectious and threatens the country’s agricultural sector.
UK Agriculture Minister Daniel Zeichner stated, “Our government will do everything it can to protect British farmers from foot-and-mouth disease. That is why we are further strengthening protection by introducing restrictions on personal imports of meat and dairy products to prevent the spread of the disease and protect food security in the UK.”
National Farmers’ Union President Tom Bradshaw emphasized the importance of increased border controls, noting that, “while the source of foot-and-mouth in some parts of Europe remains unidentified, increased border controls are absolutely necessary.”
Bradshaw also called for the creation of an “intergovernmental biosecurity plan” with ongoing investment to solidify these restrictions as a permanent legislative measure.
