‘If in doubt, keep it out!’ – reminder to holidaymakers about meat import ban

With African swine fever (ASF) currently spreading in a number of European countries and around the world, holidaymakers are being reminded about the strict rules on bring meat and dairy products into the UK.

It is now illegal to bring most meat and dairy products back into the UK, including raw and processed or cured meat, such as bacon, ham and salami, dairy products and animal derived products, as these products can spread devastating diseases like ASF and foot-and-mouth disease among livestock.

• There are more details on the rules on the government website HERE.
• Earlier in the summer, APHA published a series of social media graphics to remind holidaymakers of the rules.

ASF in Europe

ASF is currently present in numerous EU countries, with recent developments including:

• Finland recorded its first ever case of ASF in wild boar in late-July.
• Further positive cases in wild boar in Catalonia in July have taken the total to beyond 370 cases since November.
• ASF was detected in wild boar in Brandenberg, in Germany, for the first time in more than a year in July.
• Nearly 30,000 pigs died or were culled recently in Serbia after several ASF outbreaks.
• Croatia recorded new ASF outbreaks on pig farms in July.
• In late June, the first ASF outbreak in domestic pigs in Tuscany, in Italy, was confirmed.
• Estonia continues to try and contain ASF outbreaks.

Furthermore, in Cyprus, more than 33,000 healthy piglets have been slaughtered under a government support scheme, following a foot-and-mouth outbreak.