The government has introduced strict new controls on pork and pork products to protect the British pig sector against the rising threat of African swine fever (ASF).
The new control will strengthen the requirements for bringing pork into Britain from the European Union and EFTA states, Defra said on Wednesday (31 August).
ASF is a highly contagious disease for pigs and wild boar, and in recent months it has been spreading in Europe leading to the deaths of thousands of pigs.
With no vaccine available, the disease poses a significant risk to the British pig herd, as well as the ability to export pork around the globe.
The new control, which comes into force from 1 September 2022, will mean it will no longer be legal to bring pork or pork products weighing over 2kg, unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards.
This does not apply to commercial imports, which remain unaffected by the control.
It follows a new risk assessment conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency, which recognises that the chance that the ASF virus may be brought into Britain stands at ‘medium risk’.
It found that the most likely way the virus could be introduced to Britain is by a member of the public bringing pork or pork products back from an ASF-affected country.
The new measure is designed to help limit possibly infected pig meat being brought into Britain through various means, such as in passengers’ luggage or in vehicles.
Biosecurity Minister Lord Richard Benyon said an outbreak of African swine fever was one of the biggest threats the British pig industry faced today.
"We are not complacent and this decisive and proportionate action will stop the entry of pork products that pose the greatest risk.
"It is essential we maintain the highest levels of biosecurity and all visitors to the UK will need to abide by these new regulations.”
UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Richard Irvine added that if African swine fever ever reached the UK it would have a severe and damaging impact on producers.
"A single outbreak of this highly infectious disease would also harm relations with our trading partners and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our pig farmers," he said.
“We are taking this action to limit the risk of disease spreading by banning people bringing in high-risk pork and pork products that could carry this virus until further notice.
"Everyone can do their bit to help stop animal diseases spreading to this country by simply not bringing pork and other meats onto our shores.”
What can I do to help stop the spread of ASF?
Everyone can help to stop the spread of ASF to the UK by doing the following:
• If you are visiting non-EU countries, you must not bring any pork or pork products back to the UK
• If you are visiting EU or EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein), you must not bring pork or pork products which are over 2kg unless they meet EU commercial production standards
• Disposing of leftovers or food waste in secure bins that pigs or wildlife cannot access
• Farmers should practice high biosecurity standards, including never feeding catering waste, kitchen scraps or meat products to pigs, which is illegal and can spread the disease
