Travellers to the UK from France cannot bring in meat and dairy items amid disease fears

Britons and tourists entering the UK from France are no longer allowed to bring meat or dairy products with them after a new ban on these animal goods was introduced.

It comes after a rise in cases of foot and mouth disease (fièvre aphteuse) across Europe, with the UK government looking to prevent the virus spreading to livestock in the UK.

The ban came into force on Saturday (April 12), and covers people travelling from all EU countries including France. 

A ban came into force earlier this year but covered only Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, countries where the disease was first recorded.

Products containing meat from cows, sheep, goats or pigs can not be brought into the UK for personal consumption, nor can any dairy products such as cheese, including raw milk cheeses. 

This includes products purchased at duty-free sections of airports and extends to pre-packaged products such as sandwiches containing ham, beef, and cheese. 

Exceptions exist for medical foods containing meat or dairy, infant milk, and goods that contain small amounts of dairy such as chocolate, bread, biscuits, and pasta. 

A full list of official exemptions can be found here.

Those found with prohibited products at the border will need to hand them over to customs officials or destroy them. In severe cases a fine of £5,000 may be issued.

The restrictions “better safeguard the UK against the changing disease risk, and provide clear rules for travellers, helping them to comply with the regulations,” said the UK government in a press release on the ban.

The ban is likely to be lifted once the outbreak is over, however the UK government has not spoken about an eventual end to the restrictions. 

Foot and mouth disease deadly for livestock

“This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers,” said Environment Minister Daniel Zeichner in the press release.

“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,” he added. 

Whilst foot and mouth disease cannot usually be passed to humans, it is highly contagious for livestock including cattle, sheep, pigs, and wild animals including boar and deer. 

An outbreak of the disease “presents a significant risk to farm businesses and livestock [leading to] 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,” said the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

In cases where the disease spreads, swathes of livestock must be slaughtered, as was the case during a 2001 outbreak in the UK. Over six million cattle and sheep were slaughtered, costing the economy an estimated £8 billion.

Farmers and livestock owners in the UK are being urged to keep vigil over animals and look for any signs of the disease. Cases must be reported to the authorities. 

France’s Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, Anses, is warning of cases throughout the aforementioned EU countries, but has not confirmed the presence of the disease among French livestock.