This week, as the dairy industry marks World Milk Day on 1 June and National Cheese Day on 4 June, Ashford Port Health is highlighting the vital role Border Control Posts play in protecting the UK’s dairy sector, safeguarding British farmers and livestock, and ensuring consumers are protected from animal disease and food safety risks.
The awareness days celebrate the contribution of milk and dairy products to nutrition, food production and rural economies around the world. They also provide an opportunity to recognise the biosecurity measures that help safeguard the UK’s dairy sector from threats circulating internationally.
Recent outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) affecting cattle in parts of Europe, including Italy, France and Spain, have demonstrated the continuing importance of robust import controls and veterinary oversight.
While LSD does not pose a risk to human health, it can have serious consequences for animal welfare and agricultural productivity, leading to reduced milk yields, weight loss, reproductive problems, movement restrictions and disruption to trade.
In response to the outbreaks, Defra introduced safeguard measures restricting the import of certain bovine commodities from affected countries, including raw milk and raw milk products, to reduce the risk of the disease entering Great Britain.
At Sevington Border Control Post in Kent, Official Veterinarians and technical teams carry out documentary, identity and physical checks on imported dairy consignments entering Great Britain. These controls help ensure restricted products are identified and prevented from entering the country where appropriate.
The team also verifies that dairy products originating from countries affected by diseases such as Lumpy Skin Disease and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) have undergone the correct heat treatment or processing requirements before being permitted entry.
Alongside animal health controls, imported dairy products are also subject to food safety monitoring. As part of the National Monitoring Plan, samples are taken and tested for microbiological hazards, including Listeria monocytogenes.
Particular attention is given to higher-risk products, such as cheeses made from raw milk or products that have undergone lower heat treatments than full pasteurisation, helping to ensure imported foods placed on the UK market meet UK food safety standards.
Daniel Acalinei, Senior Official Veterinary Surgeon at Ashford Port Health, said:
“World Milk Day and World Cheese Day are an opportunity to celebrate the contribution the dairy industry makes to food production, nutrition and rural economies, while also recognising the importance of the systems that help protect it.
“Recent disease outbreaks across Europe serve as a reminder that animal health threats can emerge quickly and have far-reaching impacts on farming, food production and trade. Effective import controls help ensure those risks are identified and managed before products enter the UK market.
“At Sevington Border Control Post, we work to verify that imported dairy products meet the UK’s animal health and food safety requirements, helping to safeguard British livestock, support the dairy sector and maintain consumer confidence in the food supply chain.
“Alongside animal health protections, monitoring imported dairy products for microbiological hazards remains an important part of maintaining the UK’s high standards of food safety and public health.”
The work carried out at Border Control Posts forms part of the UK’s frontline biosecurity system, helping to protect national animal health status, support British agriculture and maintain confidence in the safety of imported food products.
