No foreign sausages, UK government warns British tourists

The U.K. government launched a campaign Thursday urging British holidaymakers not to bring foreign meat and dairy products back into the country. 

London wants to protect British farm animals from infection with foot-and-mouth disease, which has reappeared on the European continent this year.

“It is illegal for travelers entering GB to bring with them untreated meat or dairy products including lamb, pork, mutton, venison and goat meat, and all other products made from these meats or containing them — such as sandwiches and sausages — from the EU,” the government said in a press release.

Helene Hayman, the U.K.’s biosecurity minister, added: “We are asking the public to take this seriously. Do not bring prohibited animal or plant products into the country — doing so puts farmers’ livelihoods at risk.”

The U.K. Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said: “I know it is disappointing not to be able to bring back produce from your holidays, but please avoid temptation — you will be doing your bit to help protect our hard-working farmers.”

The highly infectious disease, which primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, goats, pigs and sheep, spread in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia between January and April this year, but was eventually contained by the authorities. Any proof of the virus inside the EU has to be reported to the authorities.

Imported animal products can spread the virus, since it can be carried in meat, dairy products and even processed food. The virus is also capable of surviving outside a host, for example in soil, water, hay or even on human clothing. The disease is generally not dangerous to humans but can devastate a herd of cattle.

While vaccinations against the virus exist, preventive jabs are not permitted by the EU, because it’s hard for vets to distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals. Infected animals are usually culled.

In 2001, a major outbreak of the disease in the U.K. led to the slaughtering of 6 million cows and sheep, causing an estimated £8 billion in economic damage.