German foot-and-mouth disease detection sparks import bans #NewsGerman

The UK and South Korea have banned the import of meat products from Germany, along with certain dairy items, following the first detection of foot-and-mouth disease in the EU member state since 1988.

Ireland is expected to follow suit.

The case was detected in Germany on Friday (10 January), traced to water buffalo in Brandenburg, near Berlin, the country’s agriculture ministry has confirmed, as local authorities seek to contain the outbreak.

South Korea has reportedly taken the move to ban imports of pork from Germany, effective from last Saturday, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The publication quoted the Asian country’s agriculture ministry as saying tests were being conducted on German pork products delivered to South Korea since 27 December, while 360 tonnes of pork from the EU trade bloc member were undergoing quarantine testing.

In the UK, meanwhile, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed the ban on German meat imports in a statement yesterday (13 January).

The ban includes meat from so-called ungulates, generally classified as animals with hooves, and which would encompass pork, beef, sheep and goat meat imports, as well as wild game.

Defra said milk, “colostrum and their products” would also feature in the ban, along with animal by-products “unless treated to effectively mitigate the risk of FMD”.

EU-member state Ireland has also suggested it may follow the moves by the UK and South Korea.

Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said it was “taking action” to support local livestock following the FMD outbreak in Germany.

“Ireland’s controls to prevent FMD include strict prohibitions on the imports of animals and animal products from countries in which FMD is present; a comprehensive veterinary surveillance system to detect unusual disease outbreaks; and active follow up and veterinary investigation of any suspects reports,” the Department explained in a statement.

However, it added that “no animals susceptible to FMD (that is, cattle, sheep, pigs) have been imported into Ireland from Germany since 1 November 2024”.

The head of Germany’s agriculture ministry, in statement acknowledging the discovery of FMD, said the government would seek to mitigate any restrictions on meat exports to countries outside the EU trade bloc.

“In the EU internal market, trade from foot-and-mouth disease-free areas is still possible in Germany – the so-called regionalisation,” Cem Özdemir, Germany’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, said in a statement yesterday.

Özdemir added: “When it comes to trade with third countries, we are doing everything we can to quickly make it possible to export to as many markets as possible.

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