Health officials at Dover are taking swift action as they seize illegal meat products entering the UK, amid growing concerns over a potential crisis akin to “foot-and-mouth” disease for British farmers. According to data obtained by BBC News, the quantity of meat confiscated by Border Force officials has doubled in just a year.
This alarming trend indicates that more meat is being smuggled into the country via fewer vehicles, a pattern that experts say points to an uptick in organized crime. Many of these imports have not undergone the necessary checks to ensure they are disease-free and comply with UK health standards.
The situation has been exacerbated by an outbreak of African swine fever, which has been spreading among Europe’s pig herds since last summer. Alarmed farmers and MPs are urging the chancellor to allocate funds for more rigorous border controls in the upcoming Budget to prevent the disease from infiltrating the UK.
Tom Bradshaw, the President of the National Farmers’ Union, expressed his skepticism about the government’s willingness to implement needed measures. “We’ve got a line in the Labour manifesto that food security is national security. Right now, there’s a very real risk that they are just words on a piece of paper rather than meaningful policy,” he stated.
Bradshaw further warned that African swine fever “could spread very rapidly through our pig herd and have huge, huge implications.” He emphasized the importance of ensuring the capability to produce essential food supplies, describing it as a political imperative during these times of geopolitical uncertainty.
Experts believe that the rise in illegal meat imports can be attributed to stricter restrictions on pork product imports, combined with a general increase in meat prices and heightened organized criminal activity. While it is understood that red meat constitutes the majority of the seizures, the specific breakdown of beef, pork, and lamb remains unclear.
