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Dover Port Health Authority

African swine fever (ASF) controls.

ASF is a highly contagious, deadly viral infection disease that can affect farm-raised and feral pigs and wild boar which is currently spreading in eastern and central Europe, China, etc.

ASF is NOT the same disease as swine influenza. It does not affect humans.

ASF is a highly contagious, deadly viral infection disease that can affect farm-raised and feral (wild) pigs which is currently spreading in eastern and central Europe, China, etc. The disease occurs primarily in Africa, more specifically in the countries south of the Sahara (First identified in Kenya in 1921). From 2007, outbreaks were observed in Georgia / Eastern Europe and from 2014 also in the European Union.

The African swine fever (ASF) virus is the sole member of the Asfarviridae family. It is the only DNA virus known that is able to infect arthropods (certain soft-bodied ticks of the genus Ornithodoros), as well as mammals.

  • ASF virus doesn’t infect people!
  • Fatality rates are of up to 100%
  • No effective vaccine against ASF
  • Exotic Notifiable Diseases for UK

The virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon.

  • Several days in faeces
  • Month(s) in contaminated pig pens
  • Up to 18 months in blood
  • Over 140 days in some pork products (salted dried hams)
  • Years in frozen carcasses

Therefore, human behaviours can play an important role in spreading this pig disease across borders if adequate measures are not taken.

African swine fever kills pigs: https://youtu.be/91T4K9REklQ

African Swine Fever: how to stay one step ahead: African Swine Fever: how to stay one step ahead - YouTube

 

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ASF virus is spreading in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. In affected areas the disease has been confirmed in wild boar, as well as on farms, smallholdings and in pet pigs.

With no vaccine available, the disease poses a significant risk to our domestic pig herd and our long-term ability to export pork and other pork products around the globe.

The new control, which came into force from 27th of September 2024, will strengthen the requirements for bringing pork and pork products into Great Britain from the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association states. It will no longer be legal :

  • to bring unlabelled pork or pork products
  • pork or pork products produced to the EU’s commercial standards weighing over 2 kg .

Dover Port Health Authority as enforcement authority of

Is taking action to limit the risk of disease spreading by flowing strictly legal base.

The successful collaboration between the Dover Port Health Authority and Border Force has shown incredible results in restricting people bringing in high-risk pork and pork products that could carry this virus until further notice.

Everyone can do their bit to help stop animal diseases spreading to this country by simply not bringing pork and other meats onto our shores. 

Why was my meat seized?

Because the porcine products were:

  • Entering Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland), AND
  • Not commercially packed porcine product OR
  • Over 2kg in weight (allowance is per person) of pork or pork products that are
    • In commercial packaging which includes the name and address of the feed business operator responsible for its labelling under Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 (animal feed only)
    • Label describing the product (including the category of ABP it belongs) and an ABP commercial document.
    • commercially packaged with an EU identification mark (for products) OR
    • stamped with a health mark (for carcases)
    • Animal By Products (ABPs) which are:

How to stop the spread of ASF to the UK:

  • If you are visiting non-EU countries, you must not bring any pork or pork products back to the UK.
  • If you are visiting EU or EFTA countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein), you must not bring more than 2 kg of commercially labelled pork or pork products.
  • Disposing of leftovers or food waste in secure bins that pigs or wildlife cannot access.
  • Farmers, the public and members of the food industry should practice high biosecurity standards, including never feeding catering waste, kitchen scraps or meat products to pigs, which is illegal and can spread the disease.

Because of African swine fever in the EU, there are restrictions currently in place for bringing in porcine products, whether fresh, frozen, ambient or processed. The personal allowance for importing these products has been removed for travellers from the EU.

This restriction includes:

Homemade food products containing pork

Commercially produced, shop purchased products which bear an EU health/identification mark.

This restriction applies to animal by-products that are in commercial packaging that contains the name and address of the feed business operator responsible for its labelling under Regulation (EC) No 767/2009; or

  • Have a label attached to the packaging, container or vehicle, describing the product and stating to which category of animal by products it belongs.

There are however, certain exemptions in place:

You can bring in up to 2kg per person of special pet food needed for medical reasons. You can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use). 

If you’re bringing in any other permitted animal products (for example pet food made with chicken meat) that are not for human consumption they must be either: 

  • commercially packaged with the manufacturer’s name and address 

You can bring in up to 2kg per person.

You can bring in up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food needed for medical reasons. You can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use). 

It was found by the Animal and Plant Health Agency that the most likely way the virus could be introduced to Great Britain is by a member of the public bringing pork or pork products back from an ASF-affected country. Following a risk assessment by the Animal and Plant Health Agency on the virus of ASF, DEFRA announced this new controls restricting the movement of pork into Britain to help safeguard the island’s porcine population. The measures will help limit possibly infected porcine meat being brought into Great Britain through various means, such as in passengers’ luggage or in vehicles.

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When entering Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) from EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland), you must only bring pork or pork products less than 2kg in weight (allowance is per person) that is either:

  • commercially packaged with an EU identification mark (for products)
  • stamped with a health mark (for carcases)

Animal By Products (ABPs) must either:

  • be in commercial packaging which includes the name and address of the feed business operator responsible for its labelling under Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 (animal feed only)
  • have a label describing the product (including the category of ABP it belongs) and an ABP commercial document.

If you have any food left over during your travel, use a secure bin to dispose of the food waste before entering the UK.

You can bring pork or pork product under 2kg (per person) that is commercially packaged or health marked back from EU or EFTA countries, but you must dispose of it so that pigs and wild boar cannot eat it.

It is illegal to bring personal meat or dairy products into the UK from countries outside EU. You may face prosecution and a large fine if you import personal meat or dairy products from Rest of the World countries when entering the UK.

Can I import game trophies from EU into GB?

APHA confirmed if the game trophies meet the conditions of the general licence: Game trophies and other preparations (IMP/GEN/14/06) they will be exempt of the conditions of Personal_imports_of_porcine_products_from_certain_third_countries_Declaration_of_special_measures__England_.pdf

Personal_imports_of_porcine_products_from_certain_third_countries_Declaration_of_special_measures__England_.pdf came into force on 27tht of September 2024 and is:

  • Applicable only for EEA countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland.
  • Applicable only for porcine products.

Porcine products can be imported into England or Scotland if they are:

  • Commercially produced (bear a health mark or an identification mark as per the EU standard).

Unfortunately, the term health mark is frequently used incorrectly to also refer to the identification mark.

Article 3 of the Regulation (EU) 2017/625 defined 'health mark' as:

'a mark applied after the official controls referred to in points (a) and (c) of Article 18(2) (see below) have been performed and which attests that the meat is fit for human consumption. (The definition exclude poultry, fish, …)'

For commercially produced animal by-products or derived products, they must be:

Personal consumption - the combined weight of porcine products bearing a health mark or an identification mark as per the EU standard, imported at any given time does not exceed 2 kg.

New controls restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain to help safeguard Britain’s pigs from the threat of African swine fever (ASF) have been announced on Wednesday 26th of September 2024 as per The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011:

On 1 September 2022, England, Scotland and Wales suspended the personal import of pork and pork products over 2kg from the EU single market area to GB unless produced and labelled to EU commercial standards.

However, these measures have now been tightened through safeguard declarations published by England, Scotland and Wales on 26 September 2024 under the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations. 

Where to find more information?