24 Jul 2025
People heading abroad this summer are being urged not to bring animal goods back with them amid fears following disease outbreaks in Europe.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image: © Viktor Kunz / Adobe Stock
The UK’s chief vet has urged holidaymakers to help protect farms here against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) by not bringing animal products back from abroad this summer.
The plea came as a newly updated control strategy for dealing with the disease was published today (24 July).
Officials have also confirmed that a new exercise to test Government preparedness for an outbreak will take place later in the year.
Concerns about the threat of FMD have grown in recent months following cases in several European countries.
Although travellers have been banned from bringing meat and dairy products into Britain from all EU member states since April, officials say continued compliance during the summer holiday period is critical.
CVO Christine Middlemiss said today: “Foot-and-mouth disease has been recently circulating on the continent. The disease presents a significant risk to Britain’s food security and economy.
“This highly contagious disease causes considerable suffering to livestock and has a devastating economic and personal impact on farmers, who lose their prized animals.
“I know it is disappointing not to be able to bring back produce from your holidays, but please avoid temptation – you will be doing your bit to help protect our hard-working farmers.”
Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman urged people who are heading abroad over the coming weeks to “take this seriously” as the department highlighted National Audit Office estimates that disease control measures alone cost the equivalent of £15 billion in today’s money during the 2001 outbreak.
She said: “Maintaining the integrity of our biosecurity against foot-and-mouth disease is essential, and this updated control strategy reflects our strengthened approach to managing that risk. It reflects our clear determination to safeguard our borders.”
