Britain Bans German Meat Imports Amid Foot-and-Mouth Scare

Britain has implemented a ban on imports of hams and other meat and dairy products from Germany to prevent foot-and-mouth disease from spreading. The disease was recently confirmed near Berlin, prompting preemptive measures to protect British livestock and farmers. This outbreak could cause significant disruptions in the UK meat supply chain.

The British government on Tuesday announced a ban on imports of hams, along with various other meat and dairy products, from Germany. The move aims to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to Britain after a case was identified outside Berlin last week.

Authorities in Britain emphasized that despite no current cases of the disease in the UK, the ban is a precautionary measure to protect farmers and their livelihoods. German officials recently confirmed the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly four decades, affecting a water buffalo herd near Berlin.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a severe and highly contagious virus that impacts cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals. While not harmful to humans, a major outbreak occurred in Britain in 2001, leading to the slaughter of over 6 million animals and devastating many farmers' incomes.

(With inputs from agencies.)