Defra has announced that as of today (27 September) personal imports of pork products from the EU are to be banned unless they’re produced to EU commercial standards and weigh less than 2kg.
This new rule still allows 2kg of pork to be brought into the country by individuals but adds the requirement that it must be packed and labelled to show it meets EU standards. Previously that wasn’t required.
While this is a step forward, a total ban on any personal pork imports would be far better and easier to implement. Nor does it tackle the much bigger biosecurity problem of illegally imported pork by organised criminals, which is exacerbated by the slashing of Dover Port Health Authority’s budget for border inspections. The National Pig Association have written about this in their latest article.
We are the UKs largest trade body for the meat industry and provide expert advice on trade issues, bespoke technical advice and access to government policy makers
We are proud to count businesses of all sizes and specialties as members. They range from small, family run abattoirs serving local customers to the largest meat processing companies responsible for supplying some of our best-loved brands to shops and supermarkets.
We are further strengthened by our associate Members who work in industries that support and supply our meat processing companies.
We are the voice of the British meat industry.
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