The UK tightens its import regulations: In the future, travelers from Austria and the other EU nations will no longer be allowed to bring meat for personal use, as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is spreading.

All types of meat from cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as all dairy products, are affected by the current ban on take-out. The British government has announced that anyone caught violating the ban can expect the goods to be seized, confiscated and destroyed at the border.
Earlier this year, the government banned personal meat imports from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria in response to confirmed FMD outbreaks in these countries.
Although there are currently no known active FMD cases in the UK and the disease poses no risk to humans, it is highly contagious to livestock and could severely impact British agriculture.

David Zeichner, British Minister for Agriculture, said:
“This government will do everything it can to protect UK farmers from foot and mouth disease. That is why we are strengthening our protective measures and banning the personal import of meat and dairy products to prevent the introduction of the disease and maintain our food security.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) also welcomes the measure. However, its president Tom Bradshaw warned that strict controls at the borders are crucial “as long as the source of the FMD outbreaks in parts of Europe is not clearly identified.”

Bradshaw also called for greater education of travelers about the new regulations and sufficient resources for border protection authorities to effectively combat illegal meat imports. He advocated a cross-government biosecurity plan with a financial safeguard to permanently enshrine the new measures in law.