MPs warn smuggled meat surge risks a major food safety and public health crisis

MPs have issued an urgent warning that large-scale smuggling of meat into Great Britain is creating a serious food safety and public health risk, with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee describing the situation as the country’s biggest food safety crisis since the 2013 horsemeat scandal.

The committee said intelligence and inspections show "alarming amounts" of undeclared, unrefrigerated and unhygienic meat entering the UK last year, with around 235,000 kilograms of potentially dangerous animal products seized or otherwise identified. The EFRA report says criminal smuggling operations are responsible for much of the flow and that products are reaching high streets, farms, markets, restaurants and household kitchen tables.

Committee chair Alistair Carmichael, a Liberal Democrat MP, said the pattern of imports presents both consumer and animal health risks. "Every day, vans laden with undeclared, unhygienic and unrefrigerated meat are rolling through our ports for distribution and sale in Britain," he said. "It would not be an exaggeration to say that Britain is sleepwalking through its biggest food safety crisis since the horse meat scandal. A still bigger concern is the very real risk of a major animal disease outbreak."

The report recounts multiple inspections and eyewitness accounts. In March, MPs visited the Port of Dover where officers observed a van being searched and found meat packaged in plastic bags, newspaper and cardboard boxes and stored in a defrosted chest freezer. Port workers told the committee they had discovered an entire pig stuffed inside a suitcase, with its legs crudely severed so it would fit. Dover Port Health Authority staff told MPs they lacked the resources to stop and search many targeted vehicles, with one official quoted as saying, "there are literally hundreds of targeted vehicles driving straight past as we do not have the resources to stop and search."

The committee also highlighted the risk of animal diseases associated with illegal imports. It cited a single case of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany earlier in the year that was most likely linked to illegally imported meat and which the report said cost the German economy about €1 billion. The committee noted that the UK had already imposed restrictions on tourists bringing cured meats and cheeses from parts of Europe because of a continental disease outbreak.

Officials and MPs voiced concerns about the capacity of Border Force and local port health facilities. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the committee that intelligence-led checks were occurring at the border, but the EFRA report found limited checks on the ground, constrained enforcement capability and port facilities unsuitable for seizing and safely handling significant volumes of potentially contaminated animal products.

Alongside the enforcement concerns, public health agencies have reported rising trends in several foodborne infections. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that listeriosis cases are up about 13 percent compared with a five-year average. The EFRA report and related health data point to increases in infections from shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), yersinia (rising from 454 to 660 cases), and cyclospora (from 61 cases in 2023 to 123 in 2024). Campylobacter laboratory reports rose 27 percent between 2022 and 2024 to about 70,300 cases, and separate UKHSA figures showed salmonella cases surged in the first three months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2023 and 2024. Public health officials warn that while many foodborne infections are self-limiting, they can cause severe illness, dehydration and can be life-threatening for young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

The EFRA committee called for an urgent, co-ordinated government response, including establishment of a national taskforce with clear leadership and strategy, strengthened food crime intelligence networks, tougher deterrents to tackle the criminal enterprises involved, and better resourcing and powers for port health and local authorities. The committee argued these steps are needed to prevent contaminated products entering supply chains and to reduce the risk of animal disease outbreaks.

Defra has previously stated that border checks are intelligence-led. The EFRA report, however, said that evidence gathered during visits and via port and public health staff indicates those checks are often limited in scope, and that facilities lack basic decontamination capabilities and dedicated handwashing stations for handling seized products.

The committee’s findings follow previous high-profile incidents involving illegal or mislabelled meat that drew national attention. In 2013, police investigations discovered meat from horses in some processed beef products and takeaway foods, prompting regulatory and industry changes. The EFRA report frames the current smuggling and enforcement shortfalls as a renewed threat to food safety and animal health that requires immediate policy action and additional resources.

The report’s recommendations are now with government ministers for response. MPs said swift implementation of strengthened border controls, enforcement powers and investment in port health infrastructure is necessary to reduce the risk posed by illegal meat imports and to protect public and animal health.