Importing meat....foot and mouth

[Nicos]

When we are in France next month, I am expecting to feed up to 20 people over a weekend and I was considering preparing some of the food in advance in the UK (where I have better cooking facilities for now!) and taking it over to France.

What I did wonder though is  , due to the foot and mouth outbreak, would I be prevented from taking cooked meat through customs ( eg a casserole)???

Does anyone know what the regulations are  now and normally concerning raw and cooked meat???

[Russethouse]

Here is the most recent thread - I suggest that after yesterday we are probably back to this situation ?

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1004710/ShowPost.aspx

 

[cooperlola]

I returned via the Tunnel yesterday.  No sign anywhere of any restrictions on importing food of any sort!  Even the disinfected matting, which I had to drive over last month, had gone - and that in spite of another outbreak in the last week.

[powerdesal]

On Monday, Speedferries loading crew were asking if any "stuff" was being carried but there was no search, at either end.

[Will]

From Brittany Ferries:

Essential Travel Information regarding Foot and Mouth Disease

September 13th 2007

You will no doubt be aware of the outbreak, hopefully limited, of Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK.
In order to protect livestock and to minimise the risk of the disease spreading, we have been advised by DEFRA that in addition to placing a temporary ban on the export of susceptible animals, certain foodstuffs, both fresh and processed should not be taken abroad. This specifically applies to meat and dairy products.

If you are carrying any such items in your vehicle, they must be consumed or disposed of responsibly prior to boarding.

The authorities in France and Spain may carry out random checks upon arrival and if you are found to be carrying such items, even unwittingly, this could lead to a substantial delay in your journey.
Your cooperation in complying with this request, and thereby minimising any possible delays, is appreciated.

For further information about the outbreak please visit the DEFRA website

So it looks as if no meat products, either raw or cooked, are permitted.

I went to an agricultural merchant in Sussex (about 40-50 miles from the infected area) yesterday and had to have the car wheels disinfected on entry, so some people are bothered about foot and mouth disease.

[cooperlola]

I was astonished at the lack of information about this at the tunnel, I must say.

[Joy1]

My FIL is due to travel tonight with LD lines. He was bringing us some cheddar, some cadburys chocolate and some biscuits. We rand him after reading the Defra website and he contacted LD lines who told him he couldn't bring our stuff[:(] He will have to leave it in his car at the port and take it home again next week. For those who are planning a trip- leave all milk or meat products at home! Joy

[Nicos]

Thanks for that information. Very helpful!

Looks like I'll be spending the whole weekend cooking then.......[:P]

[Val_2]

What about if you are flying and put cheese in your suitcase?

[Cerise]

Friend brought me a large cheddar cheese and a large stilton last week.  Frankly it never occurred to me to think about it (does anyone seriously believe F & M could be spread by a shrinkwrapped cheese in the bottom of her bag???) but anyway, no problems getting them here - Brittany Feriies - no questions asked and very delicious they are too.

[Eos]

Cerise, the foot & mouth virus can survive for, I believe, up to a month in cheddar type cheeses. Gernerally the acidity levels are too low to destroy it completely.

 

[Nicos]

It's quite a worry that these things are not made as public as they ought to be. I had no idea about the cheese!

How on earth are we supposed to do our bit in preventing the spread unless we know details like this?

I would have thought the ferry companies should be obliged to inform their passengers more obviously?????

I was thinking of taking tins of Ambrosia creamed rice and chocolate biscuits for the neighbours kids....so it looks like that is a no-no too!?

[Val_2]

I asked about the flying and bringing cheese because you check in your suitcase and then go through customs etc where you chuck all the forbidden stuff out, so if there is no warning at checkin and you have had no access to a PC or paper or TV during a visit, how on earth do you get found out. Landing here, they don't give a monkeys what you are carrying with just one douane onduty when I came back in May and he couldn't be arsed to do much.

[Cerise]

Eaten it now - so probably got foot and mouth as well as mad cow disease.  Seriously, I beleive you but it is hardly well publicised - friend would not have flouted law on purpose.

[Bilclarie]

I would also think that most cheeses have been stored for years before they even hit the fridges in the supermarket's also the cooked meat's

 

 

 

[londoneye]

And your chance of getting it from cheese is so small that I should just enjoy the cheddar.   Even if you do get it, you won't be very ill, and can't pass it on to another human (or there is no concrete evidence that you can).  

But, since the law is the law, if you are not allowed to bring it in then I suppose you will have to grit your teeth and wait til its all over for your cheddar frenzy.

[Eos]

I've just had a look at the BMJ which says that the virus can survive for long periods in a lot of fresh, partially cooked, cured and smoked meats and also in inadequately pasteurised dairy products.

Crossing from one species to another is very rare and even if it does, humans suffer little - the reverse of the animal situation where it's highly contagious and can affect some wild as well as farm animals. 

With humans,  I think close contact with affected animals, as opposed to ingesting infected produce, is required.

It did make the point that the onus is on the public to be careful, not perhaps to protect their own health or even that of the poor animals but to avoid economic hardship as other countries may refuse to sanction imports.