Alarming amounts of meat and dairy products illegally imported to Great Britain could cause a major disease outbreak, say MPs.
The warning comes in a report by the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Illegal meat imports carry a high risk of animal diseases that threaten food security, farming and the economy, it says.
They highlight that some of the most serious animal diseases, like foot and mouth disease and African swine fever (ASF), can travel long distances and cross borders in contaminated meat and dairy products.
Illegally imported meat also poses a serious health risk to consumers, as the conditions of slaughter, handling and storage are unknown and unregulated, meaning it is more likely to carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause illness in humans.
The committee says there is currently no identifiable or effective ownership of the issue of illegal meat smuggling – despite identifying animal disease threats as a national security issue.
Every day, vans laden with unhygienic and unrefrigerated meat roll into Britain, says the report. But the authorities tasked with tackling this wave of illegal produce find themselves without the necessary resources and intelligence to do so.
Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael said: “It would not be an exaggeration to say that Britain is sleepwalking through its biggest food safety crisis since the horse meat scandal.
Real risk
“A still bigger concern is the very real risk of a major animal disease outbreak. The single case of foot and mouth disease in Germany this year, most likely caused by illegally imported meat, cost its economy one billion euros.”
The committee wants the government to tackle the criminal enterprises involved in illegal meat imports and equip port health and local authorities with the resources and the powers they need.”
A Defra spokesman said: “This government has significantly increased seizures of illegal meat, restricted the import of dangerous animal products, and is investing over £200m in a new national biosecurity centre.”