An outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease In Germany has led to the UK banning the import of cattle, pigs, sheep, deer, buffaloes and their products, including meat and dairy.

The outbreak is the first case in the country for over 40 years and was found in the Brandenburg region, close to the capital, in a herd of water buffalo on January 10th.

The UK government responded by introducing the ban from January 14th, which was effective immediately and has led to shipments in transit being stopped at UK borders from last week.

Further testing of animals near the area of the outbreak has not resulted in identifying any further cases. However, German officials are continuing their investigation and it is not currently known how long the ban will be in place. In the meantime, UK businesses are instructed to stop importing these products from the country.

Supplies of meat and dairy products may be affected while the ban is in place as the UK reportedly imports two-thirds of its dairy products and one-third of its pork from Germany.

The team at Westbound are monitoring developments closely. Should you require further information, then please do not hesitate to contact a Westbound team member.

If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.