The pig sector has sounded the alarm after banned pork products were found on sale to Eurostar passengers in Brussels, risking the UK’s biosecurity and farming industry.
The National Pig Association (NPA) has called for immediate action after reports emerged that Eurostar passengers were being encouraged to buy banned pork products at duty-free shops before entering the UK.
In April, the government tightened personal import rules in response to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) across Europe.
The updated regulations make it illegal to bring in foods such as cured meats, cheese, and milk from the EU into Britain. Travellers who breach the rules face fines of up to £5,000.
However, according to a report by POLITICO, a wide range of prohibited pork products remain on sale beyond security and passport control at Brussels Midi station, in a shop exclusively accessible to passengers bound for London.
The report highlights that travellers passing through UK passport control at Gare Midi are immediately confronted with shelves stocked with Belgian pork products, including large packs of cured sausages and fridge packs of Bruges smoked ham.
Crucially, no signs warning of the import restrictions were visible near the shelves during a visit by POLITICO journalists.
“The sales are taking place right under the noses of UK Border Force officials,” the report adds, exposing significant gaps in the UK’s biosecurity measures.
This revelation comes shortly after a damning National Audit Office (NAO) report criticised Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for inadequate preparedness in the event of a major animal disease outbreak.
The NPA has long campaigned for stricter national biosecurity controls and proper enforcement, highlighting that FMD is not the only threat to UK livestock.
The spread of African swine fever (ASF) across Europe presents a constant risk, with recent reports showing a surge in cases in Germany.
Katie Jarvis, senior policy adviser at the NPA, said the situation at Gare Midi underlined the failure to take biosecurity rules seriously.
“It is extremely alarming to see that pork is being sold at a point of entry into the UK, despite it being illegal to bring pork and other animal products from the EU.
“Clearly, the news of these controls, which have been in place for some time, has not been received and understood.
“We would urge Defra to be proactive with its communication around these personal import controls and ensure there is effective enforcement and consequences for those breaking the law.
“This also raises further questions about the biosecurity implications of the UK’s recently announced new deal with the EU.”
She asked: “If meat isn’t being stopped in the EU, how is aligning with EU protocols going to better stop it from coming into the UK?”
The NPA has repeatedly stressed to government that the relatively small additional costs required to strengthen national disease defences would be negligible compared to the cost of a notifiable disease outbreak.
They have called for increased resources for the Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) to enable more effective detection and seizure of illegal meat imports.
Since September 2022, DPHA has confiscated more than 243 tonnes of illegally imported meat — considered only the tip of the iceberg.
The NAO’s report on the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak estimated the direct cost to the public sector at over £3 billion, with private sector costs exceeding £5 billion — equivalent to roughly £14.7 billion today.
An ASF outbreak would trigger an export ban on UK pork worth around £600 million. Defra’s own analysis suggests an outbreak could cost the UK between £10 million and £100 million.
A UK government spokesperson said: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth disease.
“We are working closely with Border Force, ports, airports and international travel operators, to increase awareness of the new restrictions including via prominent signs.”
