Food products that are banned from the UK to prevent the spread of a devastating livestock disease until recently remained on sale to Eurostar passengers boarding in Brussels, and are still advertised in on-board menus.
Cases of Foot-and-mouth (FMD) were picked up in Germany and Hungary in early 2025, and have spread across European national borders. FMD is a viral disease that affects cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats, causing blisters, fever, lameness, stillbirths, and deaths. Its impact on farming is catastrophic, with the cost of the outbreak in Germany alone estimated at a billion euros, according to UK government research and analysis.
The restrictions on personal imports to the UK of European Union dairy and cured meat products have been in place since April 2025. Breaking the rules can result in fines of £5,000 (nearly €5,900 euros). Spot checks on passenger bags can take place on arrival in London St Pancras.
Banned snacks now withdrawn
A UK government spokesperson told POLITICO: “This government will do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth disease. We are working closely with Border Force, ports, airports and international travel operators, to increase awareness of the new restrictions including via prominent signs.” Yet, POLITICO noted on 12 June that passengers passing through UK passport control at Brussels Gare du Midi were “immediately faced with a shelf of Belgian pork products” for sale, just steps away from UK Border Force officers.
The items on sale included cured sausage snacks and Bruges ham, in quantities the news outlet asserts are “unlikely to be eaten before departure.” No notices were up to alert passengers on their way to the UK of the risks of FMD or of financial penalties for taking pork and dairy into the country.
Asked about the issue by Travel Tomorrow, Eurostar said these products have now been withdrawn. It also said: “Following the UK Government’s decision to ban the import of meat and dairy products from the EU, Eurostar has communicated the new regulations to customers on its website and placed clear signage at relevant departure points.” The press team pointed out that “The Eurostar terminal and retail concessions at Brussels-Midi are owned and managed by SNCB (and not by Eurostar). “
Personal import rules have changed.
— Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) May 2, 2025
It’s illegal to bring meat or dairy products from the EU into GB in your personal luggage.
Products will be seized and you may face fines.
Help protect UK farmers from the devastating threat of foot and mouth disease:https://t.co/bs8TMreZR0 pic.twitter.com/zwdGcIC9qT
Warnings not prominent enough?
While travelling to the UK in May 2025, I tested how visible Eurostar’s import restrictions were to passengers. The warning Eurostar provides on its website about imports requires three clicks from the incoming email.
In addition, on-board menus still advertised include items such as ham and cheese baguettes. If uneaten before the end of the rail journey, these items could end up on British soil, and if discarded into train refuse bins, they could enter the UK via rubbish disposal. Asked about the provenance of on-board food items, Eurostar did not comment on these products or where their ingredients had been sourced from.
Travel Tomorrow also contacted UK Customs who directed us to the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. We asked DEFRA if it believes Eurostar’s warnings are prominent enough and if Border Force officers should have responded to the sales of pork snacks nearby. We also asked whether passengers should avoid buying the on-board ham and cheese items advertised. We await DEFRA’s response.
