The UK has banned the import of pigs, sheep and cattle, as well as their meat, meat products, milk and animal byproducts from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the mainland European nation.
The government stated yesterday (14 January) that the import of the animals “will now be banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods”. It explained:
“GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD, including all live animals and fresh meat.
“The UK chief veterinary officer is also urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following a confirmed case of the disease in Germany. There are no cases in the UK currently.”
While the disease does not pose a risk to human or food safety, the government added, it could do so for livestock themselves. Those in charge of livestock should therefore be “absolutely rigorous” in ensuring they minimised the windows for contamination.
The Chartered Institute perspective
Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade senior specialist Anna Doherty emphasises that “it is not only livestock that is banned, but also fresh meat and meat products, milk and animal byproducts”.
This, she says, applies “unless they have been treated in accordance with regulations applicable to countries with a high risk of FMD, a category Germany now falls under”.
She adds:
“The biggest impact is that goods carrying the disease may have been exported from Germany recently, accompanied by an Export Health Certificate (EHC) signed in good faith by the official veterinarian. Therefore, importers of affected products are urged by the Department for Food Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) not to put recently imported goods into Great Britain’s (GB’s) supply chain.
“This is of course an ever-evolving situation, and disruption is expected until exporters and importers understand the new requirements with which they need to comply, such as provision of additional evidence of heat treatment or other relevant processes.”
Defra has also answered questions on the measures in an email notice to importers, including the note that, regardless of their original country of origin, meat or products from FMD-susceptible species slaughtered in Germany “would require an Export Health Certificate (EHC) signed by an Official Vet (OV) in Germany”, and that “as a consequence of Germany losing FMD freedom this certificate could no longer be signed”.
‘Disruption to supply’
Speaking to the Guardian, Mandy Nevel, the head of animal health and welfare at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), said it “means that ham, gammon and bacon as well as products like salami from Germany will not be allowed into the UK”. The AHDB is therefore “expecting some disruption to supply”.
German authorities said earlier this week that export of milk and diary, meat and meat products as well as other animal-derived products were “currently hardly possible”. It also “assumed third countries would immediately impose bans on such goods from Germany”.
‘We will not hesitate’
The country is the third-largest exporter of pig meat to the UK, sending £448m of the product between January and October last year.
The German outbreak took place in a herd of water buffalo near Berlin and is the country’s first incident in 40 years. An outbreak in Britain in 2001 required the slaughter of 6m animals, Politico notes, with 2000 UK farms affected. There are no reported FMD cases in the UK as yet.
UK farming minister Daniel Zeichner said “we will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads”, adding that the government “will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed” by FMD.
He also stated that the situation will remain “under review” and that the UK government is “working closely with the German authorities”.