MP urges ban on personal meat imports to stop black market meat causing animal disease outbreak
There must be an immediate ban on personal meat imports to try and crack down on smugglers that risk a disease outbreak which could bring down the farming sector, experts have warned.
Both foot and mouth disease and, more widely, African swine flu have been detected in different parts of Europe in recent months.
While at the same time, there has been a huge rise in the amount of black market meat being smuggled in through the tourist lanes at ports.
In January, the Port of Dover confiscated 25 tonnes of illegal meat - an enormous increase on the 400kg seized in the same month in 2023.
In particular, there are fears that meat is being smuggled in from Romania, which has an export ban in place due to the prevalence of African swine fever.
National Pig Association chief executive Lizzie Wilson is one of those calling for a ban on travellers bringing in personal imports of pig meat, such as prosciutto or Parma ham.
She predicted that African swine fever, which is currently spreading across Europe, could cost the pig industry up to £100m, while another foot and mouth outbreak could potentially reach £14.7bn.
Ms Wilson said the NPA is calling for a zero tolerance policy because “it’s very clear, it’s easy to understand”.
“You don’t bring your ham sandwich back in for lunch, because it’s high risk,” she recently told the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee.
“That is our worst case scenario, an infamous ham sandwich finding its way onto an outdoor pig unit. That’s how we ended up with classical swine fever in 2000.”
Bridlington and the Wolds MP Charlie Dewhirst, who was previously a pig farmer in Driffield, East Yorkshire, is urging the Government to ban personal meat imports completely.
“At this point, with what has happened with foot and mouth, with what’s going on with African swine fever spreading across Europe, we should simply ban the personal import of meat,” he told The Yorkshire Post.
“I don’t see why the government can’t do that right now. There’s no cost implication to it.”
Mr Dewhirst is one of the MPs which sits on the Efra Committee, and has heard evidence about the scale of black market meat smuggling going on.
“It’s coordinated, organised crime bringing this meat into our food chain.
“There are empty 52-seater coaches full of binbags of meat coming in - really terrifying stuff.”
He urged the Government to bring in stronger enforcement, as if African swine fever or foot and mouth got into the UK there would have to be mass cullings and the meat industry would shut down.
“At the moment, these vehicles are being stopped, the meat is being seized - and they are sent on their way,” the Tory MP explained.
“There are no penalties, these people should be facing criminal charges.”
At a recent committee hearing, the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs’ chief veterinary officer, Dr Christine Middlemiss said that banning personal meat imports would “minimise risk”.
“Communications and implementing the controls and running them would be clearer for people if the message was there is no meat at all,” she added.
A government spokesperson said: “The Government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by disease.
“While the UK has never had an outbreak of African swine fever, we are not complacent and have strict import controls in place.
“Personal imports of meat and milk products from outside the EU are banned and we have tightened the rules on personal imports from the EU, in response to the evolving disease situation there.”