The stakes are huge, the UK is tightening up, and they are afraid of swine fever

England has tightened rules on personal pork imports to strengthen safeguards against the deadly African swine fever entering Britain. A successful defense has huge economic stakes. From 27 September, personal imports of pork and pork products from the European Economic Area, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland are prohibited, unless they meet EU trade standards and weigh less than 2 kg. Defra - Britain's food safety authority - and the government say the measures are aimed at preventing the introduction of African swine fever (ASP) into the UK via infected meat, which could have devastating effects on the £8bn domestic pig industry and the £600m important for pork exports. a similar measure was taken in 2022, when the import of pork weighing more than 2 kilograms and pork products produced according to non-EU trade standards was prohibited. The new rules go further, restricting the import of pork and pork products to products produced according to EU trade standards and ...