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Meat: Import Controls

Asked by Freddie van MierloLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 21 March 2025UIN 35543

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the (a) amount of funding for and (b) effectiveness of the current measures used by the Border Force to seize illegal meat.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner

Successful Border Force-led operations resulted in the interception, seizure and safe disposal of some 114 tonnes of meat illegally imported into the United Kingdom in 2024.

We are not complacent about illegal meat smuggling, which may pose threats to animal health, food safety and public health. That is why we are working closely with the Home Office and the Food Standards Agency to tackle this issue with the support of Border Force, Port Health Authorities and local authorities.

Border Force is funded by the Home Office.

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