The UK government has announced a ban on imports of fresh pork and other affected products from Spain following an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the country. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said all such products will be held at border control posts until further notice.
The decision comes after Spain reported its first cases of ASF in over 30 years on Wednesday, detected in Bellaterra, near Barcelona. Defra stated it would monitor the situation and keep the measures under review.
Spain is the European Union's leading pork producer, accounting for roughly a quarter of the bloc's output, with annual exports worth about €3.5 billion (£3.07bn). China has also banned pork imports from Barcelona province in response to the outbreak.
Spain's farmers' association, Asaja, said the sector was ready to face the outbreak but called on authorities to address an "out-of-control presence" of wild animals that risked contaminating livestock.
African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease affecting pigs, but it is not the same as swine flu and does not affect humans, Defra confirmed. The disease can spread through contact with infected pigs or contaminated products.
The UK had previously tightened rules on personal pork imports in 2022 over ASF concerns, and earlier this year banned personal imports of ham and other meat and dairy products from all EU countries to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
