UK Strengthens Biosecurity: Personal Meat and Dairy Imports from EU Now Prohibited

From Saturday, April 12, 2025, Britain has imposed a blanket ban on private imports of meat and dairy items from all the EU nations. This bold move is to protect British livestock and farmers from the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which has been on the rise in Europe. Earlier, the ban was restricted to particular nations such as Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, but now the ban is applicable to all EU nations.

British authorities highlight the need for keeping rigorous biosecurity precautions to avoid any such outbreaks like the costly 2001 FMD disaster, which cost the UK more than £8 billion. Livestock owners are asked to remain vigilant for symptoms of disease and practice strict standards of hygiene.

 

Sources: GOV.UK, Politico EU, Farmers Guide