Many unaware of disease risks, survey finds
Asian longhorn beetles, which travel on plants and wood packaging, kill a range of hardwood trees.
More than 50 per cent of British holidaymakers are not aware of the risks of bringing meat, dairy and plant products back to the UK from countries outside of the EU. This is according to findings from a new survey commissioned by Defra.
Thousands of people are preparing to leave the UK for the Christmas holidays, yet many are unaware of the restrictions on certain products.
Key findings from the survey show:
- Nearly 60 per cent of respondents did not know meat products can carry pests and diseases. In addition, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) did not realise dairy products can carry disease.
- A quarter of respondents were not aware of the restrictions on bringing in meat and live plants, while one in three did not know the rules on dairy products.
- About half of those who had brought back restricted products had not gone on holiday intending to do so.
- Over 70 per cent did not realise they could face travel delays if they were caught with restricted products and nearly a fifth didn't know the item may be confiscated.
Defra is warning holidaymakers to check the rules before travelling this Christmas: https://www.gov.uk/bringing-food-animals-plants-into-uk/pets-and-other-animals
Food and drink exports are worth £18.9 billion to the UK. Disease outbreaks could lead to export bans, as well as having serious impacts on our natural habitats and native species.
“People can be tempted to travel back from their holidays with exotic food or plants, but by doing this they could risk bringing back a disease or pest too" said Elizabeth Truss, environment secretary.
Image ©Wikipedia/Kyle T. Ramirez
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
