African Swine Fever remains “massive” risk amid border control cuts, say leading UK meat associations

28 Aug 2024 --- Leading meat associations have raised growing concerns about the risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) arriving in the UK due to a lack of border control resources to stop infected meat illegally passing through ports and other entry points. The government says preventing an outbreak remains one of its “key biosecurity priorities.”

The National Pig Association (NPA) and British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) say the risk of the disease getting into the UK “is massive,” and recent reports of border control cuts are “just the tip of the iceberg” of a growing problem that needs urgent action. 

If the disease reaches the UK, there will be “a high risk and cost for the industry,” Nick Allen, CEO at BMPA, tells Food Ingredients First. 

 “Any disease outbreaks immediately cut the UK out of export markets and China and would most likely suspend any imports from the UK to other countries. There’s the disease point of view, and then there’s the loss of the export markets,” he says.

  “There’s the cost that comes with all the movement controls that go on because pigs move around quite a bit. You rear them, have them born in one place, and then move them to units in another place.”

Big financial losses

Although harmless to humans, ASF, a viral disease of pigs and wild boar that causes high mortality in the affected animals, can have a substantial financial impact on food producers and industry. This is due to animal losses, restrictions on the movement of pigs and wild boars and their products and control measures.

The government has faced recent criticism from industry about under-resourced ports and slow, costly import processes. 

Earlier this month, there were reports that the Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA), which polices the border, faced cuts of up to 70% to its surveillance resource for diseases such as ASF. The government has faced recent criticism from industry about under-resourced ports and slow, costly import processes. 

Allen believes the biggest threat is the virus coming through borders illegally, not through wild animals. He says this makes it vital for authorities to have enough staff to spot any suspicious activity or to detect if someone innocently brings infected meat to the UK in a sandwich, for example. 

“We see the biggest threat to us is coming from meat infected with ASF from other countries, with it spreading to animals that way — hence our concern about the controls at the port,” he explains. 

The NPA says it has been informed of illegal, undetected meat consignments being found in Northern Ireland that had illicitly made their way from Great Britain.

“They [the DPHA] don’t have enough people to do the job, and they will tell you this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more that they cannot find and seize because they don’t have the resources. It’s coming in through airports all over the country,” Katie Jarvis, senior policy advisor at the NPA, tells Food Ingredients First. 

Personal Import Allowance 

She would also like to see a change to the Personal Import Allowance, which currently permits travelers to carry up to two kg of pork and other food products from Europe into Britain. The government is currently working on changes to the allowance, although the timeline for this and the changes remain unclear. 

“We want to see it cut to zero. You shouldn’t be allowed to bring meat in because it’s two kilograms. What does two kilograms look like? It’s a difficult message to send to the general public. We’d say zero tolerance,” adds Jarvis. 

If there was an ASF outbreak it could have a significant financial impact on British food producers and industry.

Both groups say they remain in conversation with the government about ASF and related issues.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), ASF outbreaks were reported in the European Union in 2014, affecting wild boar from the Baltic states and Poland. Since then, it has spread to other EU countries and neighboring non-EU countries, with recent outbreaks in Asia, Oceania and some American countries. 

Increase in outbreaks

According to the latest epidemiological report published by EFSA, 2023 saw the largest number of ASF outbreaks for domestic pigs since 2014. The number of outbreaks in wild boar increased by 10% compared to the previous year despite the spread in new areas. Most of the outbreaks were in newly infected Croatia and Romania (96%). 

A spokesperson for EFSA tells Food Ingredients First that, as of 2024, no new EU country has been affected by the disease.

“However, in the latest months, ASF has spread to new areas in Western Germany, affecting wild boar and some pig farms. In the North of Italy, ASF has also gradually spread, with some pig farms affected during the summer season,” they say.

In the rest of the EU, the situation “remains relatively stable.”

A government spokesperson tells Food Ingredients First that it is working closely with industry to prevent an outbreak. 

“The government has strict import controls in place to manage the risk of African Swine Fever, which is one of our highest animal disease risks in terms of likelihood and impact,” they say. 

 “While the UK has never had an outbreak, we are not complacent. We work closely with Port Health Authorities and Border Force to ensure our robust border controls are enforced.”

By Sade Laja