Folks arriving in Britain from the EU and different European international locations are not allowed to herald a spread of meat and dairy merchandise – together with cheese.
It’s a part of a transfer by the UK authorities to try to cease the unfold of foot-and-mouth illness from overseas.
The brand new guidelines, launched on Saturday 12 April, imply travellers face restrictions on meat from pigs, cows, sheep and goats, in addition to dairy gadgets akin to milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt.
Additionally they embody gadgets like sandwiches stuffed with meat or dairy merchandise, together with cured meats and uncooked meats – no matter whether or not they’re packed or packaged or whether or not they have been purchased at duty-free.
The restrictions apply solely to travellers arriving in Britain, and won’t be imposed on private imports from Northern Eire, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.
There are at present no reported instances of foot-and-mouth illness (FMD) within the UK, with the final outbreak in 2007, however there have been confirmed instances this 12 months in Germany in January, and in Hungary and Slovakia final month.
The UK authorities had already banned “personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products” from these three international locations “in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD”.
The listing of banned gadgets has now been prolonged to such merchandise from the entire of the EU in addition to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Right here’s all the pieces you might want to know concerning the restrictions.
What does the ban embody?
The federal government says you possibly can’t carry the next merchandise again from the international locations listed above:
• Pork• Beef• Lamb• Mutton• Goat• Venison• Different merchandise comprised of these meats, akin to sausages• Milk and dairy merchandise like butter, cheese and yoghurt
The federal government has mentioned you possibly can usher in as much as 2kg per individual of powdered toddler milk, toddler meals, or particular meals wanted for medical causes, however provided that it doesn’t must be refrigerated earlier than use, and is in branded, unopened packaging – except it’s in present use.
Picture:Pic: iStock
There are additionally pet meals restrictions:
The federal government says you can’t usher in pig, cow, sheep, goat and deer merchandise that aren’t for human consumption, like merchandise made with pig meat.
You’ll be able to usher in as much as 2kg per individual of particular pet meals wanted for medical causes, so long as it doesn’t must be refrigerated earlier than use, and is in branded, unopened packaging.
If you’re bringing in every other permitted animal merchandise, akin to pet meals made with hen meat, they have to be both commercially packaged with the producer’s title and tackle or have an animal by-product business doc.
Picture:Focaccia sandwiches with prosciutto. Pic: iStock
What can folks proceed to herald?
• Fish• Poultry, akin to hen, duck, goose and every other merchandise comprised of these meats• Different animal merchandise like eggs and honey
And from the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein folks can carry within the following as effectively:
• Fruit• Greens• Nuts and seeds
What occurs for those who break the principles?
Banned meals merchandise will probably be taken away and destroyed for those who declare them to Border Pressure officers at customs.
The federal government warns that you could possibly be prosecuted if you don’t declare banned meals merchandise.
Border Pressure can take away your merchandise in the event that they suppose you’ve introduced one thing into the nation illegally or introduced in an excessive amount of of a restricted product.
They’ll additionally throw away any gadgets, together with clothes or luggage, which they consider has been contaminated by the product – for instance with blood from meat.
Picture:Authorities carry disinfectant liquid close to a farm throughout an outbreak of foot-and-mouth illness in Dunakiliti, Hungary. Pic: Reuters
What’s foot-and-mouth illness and what has been taking place in different international locations?
The most recent restrictions are to “protect the health of British livestock, the security of farmers, and the UK’s food security”, mentioned the Division for Surroundings, Meals and Rural Affairs.
Foot-and-mouth is a viral illness which causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants akin to cattle, swine, sheep and goats.
It poses no danger to people, however outbreaks typically result in commerce restrictions akin to those in place now.
In 2001, the illness led to the culling of thousands and thousands of animals within the UK and the lack of billions of kilos, prompting a disaster in British farming.
There have been 2,000 instances, however every case meant a farm having to kill and burn all its livestock, with greater than six million sheep, cattle and pigs slaughtered.
The primary outbreak in Germany for 36 years occurred in January, resulting in the precautionary slaughter of 55 goats, sheep and cattle on a farm in Brandenburg.
Reviews of foot-and-mouth emerged in Hungary in mid-March, with greater than 3,500 cattle slaughtered within the nation’s northern county of Gyor-Moson-Sopron.
After the outbreak in Hungary, instances have been then reported throughout 5 farms in southern Slovakia, prompting the nation to declare an emergency.
On 2 April, Hungary deployed troopers and launched new disinfection measures within the northwest shut to frame areas to include the outbreak.
Austria then closed 21 crossings into Hungary and two into Slovakia a day later.
