A government minister has provided an update regarding a prohibition on passengers bringing food into the UK aboard aircraft. Since last April, travellers have faced the prospect of being intercepted at the UK border, having items seized, and potentially incurring fines of up to £5,000.

The prohibition has been implemented due to a foot and mouth outbreak across Europe. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has banned items including sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats and milk from entering Great Britain.

Travellers are prohibited from bringing cattle, sheep, goat and pig meat, alongside dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal consumption, to safeguard the health of British livestock, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and secure the UK’s food supply.

This week, the government issued an alert concerning a fresh outbreak in the popular UK holiday destination Cyprus, resulting in additional restrictions being imposed on commercial imports.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: “Foot and Mouth disease has now been confirmed in Cyprus, we remain in contact with our European counterparts to understand the latest situation.”

“Robust plans are already in place to minimise the risk of disease incursion to support Britain’s farming community and food security.”

Those discovered with these items will be required to either surrender them at the border or have them confiscated and destroyed. In severe cases, individuals found in possession of these items face the possibility of incurring fines of up to £5,000 in England.

In a recent written parliamentary question, Labour MP Ben Goldsborough queried whether sufficient measures were being taken to educate the public. He asked Emma Reynolds, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, “If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of funding public awareness campaigns, including advertisements at airports and ports, on (a) foot and mouth disease and (b) African swine fever.”

DEFRA minister Dame Angela Eagle stated that significant efforts have been made recently to emphasise the ban: “Biosecurity is a priority for this Government. To protect UK farmers and animals from serious diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease and African Swine Fever, we used the Christmas period as an opportunity to remind the public about the personal imports ban on travellers from the EU and EEA countries bringing dairy and meat products to GB, that came into force last year.

“This included promoting awareness of the rules to the travelling public and extending our reach through partnership channels across Government and with industry. Our insights survey results indicate that over 90% of respondents are aware that they should not bring back meat and dairy products from these countries.

“Any decisions on funding paid campaigns will be made based on the current threat level, evidence of effectiveness and available resources, ensuring maximum impact in protecting UK biosecurity.”

Restrictions on meat, dairy and animal products for human consumption

You cannot bring in any of the following:

• cheese, milk and dairy products like butter and yoghurt
• pork
• beef
• lamb
• mutton
• goat
• venison
• other products made from these meats, for example sausages

You can bring the following into Great Britain from any country without any restrictions:

• bread, but not sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products
• cakes without fresh cream
• biscuits
• chocolate and confectionery, but not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
• pasta and noodles, but not if mixed or filled with meat or meat products
• packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
• processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material
• food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil capsules

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