Britain has banned imports of German pork, lamb, beef and dairy products to prevent foot-and-mouth disease spreading to the UK after a case of the disease was confirmed last Friday on the outskirts of Berlin.
As well as prohibiting imports of ham, bacon, salami and cheese, the measure bans the import of live cattle, sheep and pigs, along with other animals which are susceptible to foot-and-mouth. No health certificates will be issued by Britain for fresh meat from Germany.
“Ham, gammon and bacon as well as products like salami from Germany will not be allowed into the UK,” said Mandy Nevel, head of animal health and welfare at the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
“We are expecting some disruption to supply,” Nevel added.
Germany is the third-largest exporter of pork to the UK, and has an 18% market share, while it is also the second-largest exporter to the UK of dairy products including cheese, yoghurt and buttermilk.
The government said there were currently no cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the measures would help to prevent it spreading to Britain, protecting farmers and their livelihoods.
Foot-and-mouth disease does not pose any risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease which affects cattle, sheep, pigs and other animals with cloven hooves.
A particularly severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Britain in 2001 saw 2,000 cases of the disease officially recorded and led to the slaughter of more than 6 million sheep, cattle and pigs, wrecking the finances of many farmers.
A case of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany was confirmed in a herd of water buffalo in Brandenburg, outside of Berlin, on 10 January, according to the country’s food and agriculture ministry. It added that exclusion zones had been established in the affected area, banning the transport of animals or animal products.
Hundreds of animals in Berlin are currently being tested for the disease, according to German media reports.
The outbreak means that Germany can not be classed as free of foot-and-mouth disease and the UK’s import ban is likely to be the first of several trade restrictions. It is the first case of the disease in the EU for several years.
The UK’s chief veterinary officer is calling on farmers and livestock keepers to remain vigilant for any signs of the disease in their animals and to maintain good biosecurity.
Signs of the disease vary by animal, but cattle suffer from sores and blisters on their feet, mouth and tongue, as well as lameness and problems feeding.
Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief vet, said there were “robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security”.
The farming minister, Daniel Zeichner, said the government would “not hesitate to add additional countries” to the list of banned imports, should the foot and mouth outbreak spread beyond Germany.
