A tonne of pork has been seized in a joint operation between Border Force and the Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA), following vehicle searches of traffic entering the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe from the EU.
The officers searched for pork that doesn’t meet Defra’s standards, banning imports of pork above 2kg unless it is in verified commercial packaging with EU health marks, introduced in September to reduce the risk of African Swine Fever entering the UK pork industry.
Mark Aldred, team leader at SCPHA, said: “In just one week, our team of 11 were able to identify, inspect and seize more than 300kg of pork that did not comply with the new controls. Since our operation began we have confiscated one tonne in total.
“We are pleased our joint operation with Border Force has already made an impact in reducing the chances of an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak Britain.”
“We use our expertise in food security and public health to search vehicles, trailers and freight flagged by Border Force that could be carrying pork and identify the risks. We confiscate any pork we find that does not meet the new standards, as well as other meats that cannot be identified.”
The operation was due to conclude this month, but has now received further funding until March 2024.
Hannah Panting, operations manager at SCPHA, said: “Our teams have done a fantastic job in protecting Britain from the significant damage an ASF outbreak could cause the farming economy. We look forward to continuing the success of this operation and strengthening our cooperation with Border Force across 2023 and 2024.”
In addition to the joint operation with Border Force, SCPHA provides essential health checks on food and animal products imported to Harwich International Port.