Defra briefs Abta members about ban on bringing home EU meat and cheese  

The government has briefed Abta members about recently introduced restrictions on travellers returning from the European Union with meat and dairy produce.

 

Travellers are no longer be able to bring cattle, sheep, goat and pig meat, or dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use.

 

This includes items such as sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk – regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty-free.  

 

The Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) gave an online presentation to Abta members on Tuesday (July 8) about the restrictions, introduced in April because of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks on the continent.

 

FMD poses no risk to humans but the outbreak on the continent presents a “significant risk” to farm businesses and livestock. 

 

Graeme Buck, Abta communications director, said: “Ensuring that members are fully aware of changes to policy is extremely important and we regularly meet with government departments for briefings.

 

“[The] Defra video presentation was a result of one such meeting and gave an invaluable insight into the reasons behind the restrictions on customers bringing in meat and dairy products from the EU.

 

“Not only will this help to safeguard the British farming community but prevent members of the public from having these items taken from them on arrival back to the UK.”

 

Those found with banned items will need to either surrender them at the border or will have them seized and destroyed. In serious cases, those found with these items run the risk of incurring fines of up to £5,000 in England. 

 

Abta members can see the presentation online on the association’s member zone.

 

Pictured: Shopping for traditional sausages in the duty-free area of Palma de Mallorca airport. By Hadrian / Shutterstock.com