Dutch officials seize sandwiches from British Brexit executives

Dutch TV news broadcast footage of customs officers seizing ham sandwiches from drivers arriving by ferry from the UK under post-Brexit rules banning personal imports of meat and dairy products into the EU.

Officials wearing jackets that are very visible are shown and explained to the frightened car and truck drivers at the Hook of Holland ferry terminal that since Brexit “you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, such as meat, fruit, vegetables, fish, that kind of thing. ”

To a surprised driver with a few sandwiches wrapped in tin foil who asked if he might not hand over the meat and just store the bread, one customs officer replied: ‘No, everything will be confiscated. Welcome to Brexit, sir, I’m sorry. ‘

The ban came into effect on New Year’s Day when the Brexit transition period came to an end, with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) saying travelers should “use, consume or throw away” prohibited items before or after before the border.

“From 1 January 2021, you will not be able to bring POAO (products of animal origin) such as meat or dairy (eg a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU,” reads the Defra guide for commercial managers.

The European Commission says the ban is necessary because meat and dairy products can contain pathogens that can cause animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth or swine fever and ‘can still be a real threat to animal health throughout the union’.

Dutch customs also posted a photo of food ranging from breakfast cereals to oranges on which officials confiscated at the ferry terminal, adding: “Since January 1, you can no longer just bring food from the UK.”

The customs service added: “So prepare yourself if you are traveling from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands and spreading the word. This is how we prevent food waste and together ensure that control is accelerated. ”