A temporary ban on cheese and meat products from the EU has been introduced by the government to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
The ban was introduced on Saturday and means people arriving into the country from the EU will face restrictions bringing in a range of products.
These range from meat from pigs, cows, sheep and goats and dairy products like milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt.
The restrictions apply to all goods regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty free.
It applies to people arriving from the EU into Great Britain, not Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.
If somebody is found to bring the prohibited items in, they will be seized and destroyed.
In serious cases, people could be fined up to £5,000 if they bring in the prohibited items or prosecuted if they do not declare them.
Full list of banned EU cheese and meat products
- Pork
- Beef
- Lamb
- Mutton
- Goat
- Venison
- Other products made from these meats, such as sausages
- Milk and dairy products like butter, cheese and yoghurt
Other banned products include sandwiches as well as pet food restrictions such as pig, cow, sheep, goat and deer products that are not for human consumption.
People can still bring in 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, special food needed for medical reasons and infant food.
This current ban follows an earlier ban of similar products from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria.
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Tom Bradshaw said: ‘A breakdown in biosecurity is one of the most serious risks we face as a nation, and the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in parts of Europe is 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 planwith the necessary investment behind it, andwhich would place these restrictions on a permanent legislative footing.’
There are currently no reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK but it is a highly contagious viral disease.
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It causes blisters inside an animal’s mouth and under their hooves which can lead to lameness and problems feeding.
It does not pose a risk to humans and the last outbreak in this country was recorded in 2001.
More than six million pigs, sheep and cattle died despite there only being 2,000 confirmed cases.
Each case meant that a farm had to kill off its entire livestock because of how highly contagious it is.
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