Don't Smuggle Food
2009-05-22
We might think that smuggling some food back from our holiday is not a crime. But no matter what we might think about the matter, it is a crime and a crime that Customs takes very seriously indeed. What foodstuffs can you take out of the UK? What foodstuffs can you bring back? The government has launched a new online service that will help tell you.
People travelling outside the EU this summer can easily find out which foods they can, or can't, bring back in to the UK with them. The government has launched a new new Food Widget, that’s a special online food travel checker available from government webservice, Directgov.
Travellers can use the Food Widget on the Directgov website as an online quick check to see examples of three foods which you can legally bring back with them from outside the EU. It also contains examples of three foods you can't bring back with you. You can then use the service to click through to a much more comprehensive and fuller list of which food items are and aren't allowed.
The government points out that diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Bird Flu could, in theory, be brought into the UK via food products (particularly those that are containing meat or milk), which could have a major impact on the UK farming industry, crops and the environment.
Food and Farming Minister Jane Kennedy said: "No one wants to end their holiday being delayed as sniffer dogs indicate concealed food and their bags are searched, having the food they've brought home confiscated, or even facing prosecution for breaking the law.
"The rules are there to reduce the risk of diseases and pests entering the UK - they can have a devastating impact on our farming industry and even risk public health.
"Anyone planning to bring food back from outside the EU should check before they travel, or while they're on holiday, to make sure anything they're planning to bring back is within the law - which is easy to do from anywhere in the world by logging onto Directgov. And if you're in any doubt - don't bring it back."
The food widget can be found at http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/dontbringmeback/
Examples of foods you can’t bring back include: Labneh yogurt from the United Arab Emirates, steak or cheese from America, or fresh Kaffir lime leaves from Thailand.
