Irish tourists reminded not to bring five banned items into the UK

Certain foods are banned from entering the UK due to the rising cases of Foot and Mouth Disease

The UK government are reminding people due to the rise of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD), which affects “cloven-hoofed animals” like cattle or sheep.

The last outbreak of FMD was in 2007.

There are currently no cases of FMD in the United Kingdom.

However, there have been confirmed cases of FMD in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia in 2025.

If you travel to Great Britain for personal use, the UK government states that certain goods from the EU, EFTA States, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland are banned.

If you travel from these regions, you must not bring meat or dairy products from certain animals such as cows, sheep, pigs and goats.

So, what foods can you bring into Great Britain when travelling?

The UK government says that you can bring the following into Great Britain from any country without restrictions:

• bread, but not sandwiches filled with meat or dairy products
• cakes without fresh cream
• Biscuits
• chocolate and confectionery, but not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy ingredients
• pasta and noodles, but not if mixed or filled with meat or meat products
• packaged soup, stocks and flavourings
• processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material
• food supplements containing small amounts of an animal product, such as fish oil capsules

They report that fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds can be brought into Great Britain from the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein, but be mindful of restrictions if you travel from countries outside the EU.

The current assessed risk level of Foot and Mouth disease entering the UK is medium.