بريطانيا: تقرير حكومي يحذّر من تهريب 235 طناً من لحوم غير قانونية

A British government report issued by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) warned that Britain is facing its biggest food security crisis since the horsemeat scandal in 2013, with astonishing amounts of illegal meat being smuggled that may be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

The report, published the day before yesterday (Tuesday), revealed that 235 tons of potentially hazardous animal products entered the country last year alone, through airports, seaports, and even private vehicles via the Channel Tunnel.

The report explained that this unhealthy and unrefrigerated meat is not subjected to adequate quality checks, exposing consumers to the risk of severe food poisoning. Additionally, animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease have increased domestically and abroad in recent months, threatening agricultural economics and food security.

This comes after a ban on the importation of processed meats and cheeses from Europe for British tourists in April 2025, due to disease outbreaks on the continent.

The report did not specify the types of smuggled meats in detail or their countries of origin, but it mentioned examples such as beef and pork hidden inside cardboard boxes and disassembled freezers. According to the report, one dockworker told the committee that they found a whole pig inside a suitcase, with its legs poorly cut to fit the size.

Britain Ignores Major Food Security Crisis

During the EFRA committee's visit to the Port of Dover in March 2025, they witnessed the inspection of a Moldovan truck driven by a Romanian driver, containing meat wrapped in plastic bags and newspapers, stored in cardboard boxes and a disassembled freezer, indicating that the meat had been transported over 1,000 miles from Eastern Europe.

Deputy Prime Minister and committee chair Alistair Carmichael said: “Every day, trucks loaded with undeclared, unhealthy, and unrefrigerated meats enter our ports to be distributed and sold in Britain. It is no exaggeration to say that Britain is ignoring the biggest food security crisis since the horsemeat scandal.”

He added that the greatest concern is the risk of a major animal disease outbreak, as a single case of foot and mouth disease in Germany this year cost the economy one billion euros. He also called for the establishment of a national task force with real leadership and strategy, enhancing intelligence networks on food crime, imposing real penalties on criminal networks, and providing port and local health authorities with the necessary resources and powers.

The report confirmed that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) claims to conduct border inspections based on intelligence, but the reality shows limited inspections, strained enforcement capabilities, and port facilities unsuitable for seizing large quantities of contaminated meat.

Dover port workers noted that hundreds of targeted vehicles pass through without stopping due to a lack of resources, and the report described criminal smuggling operations as responsible for introducing high-risk products, with meat arriving in unsanitary conditions, making its way to main streets, farms, markets, restaurants, and dining tables, driven by the cost-of-living crisis and cultural preferences.

Increase in Severe Food Poisoning Cases

In a related context, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued warnings this year about an increase in severe food poisoning cases. In April 2025, listeriosis cases rose by 13% above the five-year average, a serious infection caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria found in contaminated food.

Cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have also risen since the COVID pandemic, with one outbreak of strain O145 affecting more than 250 people in the summer of 2024 due to salad leaves.

Yersinia cases increased from 454 to 660, and Cyclospora doubled to 123 in 2024, while Campylobacter cases rose by 27% to 70,300 between 2022 and 2024.

In the first three months of 2025, salmonella cases increased compared to 2023 and 2024, a bacteria that infects the intestines of animals and is transmitted through meat, eggs, and poultry, causing fever and vomiting and can be fatal for children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Response from the British Government

In response to the report, a government spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “The government has significantly increased seizures of illegal meat, restricted the import of hazardous animal products, and is investing more than £200 million in the new National Biosecurity Centre. We will consider the recommendations of the EFRA committee while closely cooperating with port operators, the industry, and trade partners, as well as border force to protect food security, farmers, and the economy.”

The committee called for a national strategy to combat the smuggling of products of animal origin (POAO) by January 2026, in collaboration with the National Food Crime Unit and port and local authorities, and to establish a national task force by November 2025 led by the biosecurity minister. It also emphasized the need for immediate fines and prosecutions for repeat offenders, improving border facilities, and raising public awareness of the risks.