That's au revoir to bringing back any camembert or confit de canard as of today.

Jaxjacky

Françe has forbidden those foods being taken the other way from the UK for a long time, but there are always the clever clogs sneaking it in to their holiday or permanent homes. Those who can’t live without ‘proper’ bacon or sausages even though they’re living in another country.

Oh of course, the French living over here don't do anything as dastardly, cant do without their overpriced cheese, cruel foi gras and over salted sausage, even though they live in a foreign country. of course not. We are too lax re bringing in foreign fresh foodstuffs.

escaped
Do let us know how you get on.
If you brought them from England it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you declare that you have meat flavoured products, will some keen official want to show off his knowledge about the new rules?

Conundrum question for GNs. ........

So, all the meat flavoured treats in my rucksack that I brought over from England, (you are allowed these for the journey etc,) do I now take them back into the UK? 😆

Wish me luck, see you on the other side of customs. 🇬🇧

Thanks, yes, that information was put out a few days ago. It's the French who aren't bothered to update.

Escaped, this is from the French customs; it may be better to check with the entry country for any restrictions. The UK restrictions may not have been updated on the French website.

this is the UK gov site:
www.gov.uk/bringing-food-into-great-britain/meat-dairy-fish-animal-products

Monica, there is a special section on pet food.

Just to show how bonkers it is, and how little the French customs care, this is from the Eurostar website currently. I quote:
Vous pouvez emporter les produits suivants de l’UE en Grande-Bretagne pour votre consommation personnelle.
Viande (des restrictions s’appliquent à la viande de porc et aux produits à base de viande de porc)
Produits laitiers
Autres produits d'origine animale, comme le poisson, les œufs et le miel

It states, You CAN bring meat, (except pork), and dairy products from the EU to the UK! Maybe the UK government hasnt given the French the information about foot and mouth yet? 😕

ViceVersa

*I don't think we get any foods in the UK imported from America thankfully.*
Are you kidding me? Some supermarkets have a whole aisle full of American products.

Also a lot of British food companies are now owned by American companies, Cadbury's for example.

This link is out of date but quite an eye opener. www.lovemoney.com/gallerylist/73626/famous-british-brands-that-are-foreignowned and the situation has not improved.

Not to forget that Coca Cola, McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway. KFC etc are also American.

I understand what you and MOnica are saying escaped, I suppose I was always concerned about being stopped, either way. What would you do if they did confiscate your dog food?

I made a mistake, and explained earlier, confit de canard is OK. Meat products are not. I read pâtés and my mind went straight to my favourite - confit de canard.

I'm saying that if the French are clearly not bothered about applying the law - and this is over decades, - then I am not bothered about obeying it.
I understand totally what M0nica means, though I won't be disobeying any rules about bringing back dairy or meat products this Friday, as I usually do. I'm returning to France in 6 weeks' time anyway for the summer, so I'll look forward to French cheeses and salami then. 🧀

I actually abide by more of the rules in France than some French people do! eg. Dogs on beaches. And whilst working here for many years, I declared everything I earned, unlike some French people I know! I don't deliberately disobey any rules, but I do apply common sense - which actually the French are very good at doing.

Out of interest, yesterday I searched for my dog's food here in France. The two nearest shops had none available, see photo evidence. I could order it to be collected at a shop 40 miles away on 21st April, by which time my dog would be dead.

Retrait en magasin
Non disponible dans votre magasin Point Vert DOL DE BRETAGNE
Point Vert SAINT MELOIR DES ONDES
Non disponible dans ce magasin

Seriously, I'm not making light of this, and technically it is wrong to bring my own dog food to France, but if French customs choose to ignore the 12kg sack of biscuits on the back seat, I feel it's no big deal.

i am saying that if the French are clearly not bothered about applying the law - and this is over decades, - then I am not bothered about obeying it.

Actually looking at the list, of banned foodstuffs, apart from the very occasional piece of cheese there is nothing on the list that I do bring back into this country. I was mislead by the OP referring to Confit de Canard. Confit de Canard is a cooked meat and I buy it in tins,usually the same brand my local Waitrose stocks (but much cheaper) so nothing I am doing is breaking the law.

They won't want pastes at an airport I suppose... could be an incendiary device.

A relative of mine had two large, unopened jars of Marmite confiscated at a UK airport.
Two similar jars of Marmite were later delivered by car.

Why cant folk just obey the laws? I certainly wanted to remain in the EU but have a strong views of following what is legal which sadly many on here appear to choose to ignore! If you go to another country then have the courtesy to abide by their laws.

I don't think M0nica is saying that!

So just because you’re not caught it’s ok *MOnica?

Since French customs are themselves profoundly uninterested in enforcing this law, we are left to draw our own conclusions and make our own decisions.

In 40 years of travelling between France and England very regularly the French Customs have never ever stopped us and enquired about what we are bringing in or out of the country, and the British Customs have stopped us twice.

The first time we think because we had inadvertently chosen an itinerary that was similar to some criminal group that was being closely watched, and the moment DH got all the estate agents details of the houses we were looking at out of the boot , the customs people just waved us on.

The second time we triggered their radioactivity senser, when we came off the ferry. Did you know your car was scanned for radioactivity when you went on and off a ferry? We were all at a loss, including the customs men. In the end it was decided that it was caused by some trench art we had bought. A WW1 shell casing that had been turned into a vase, the customs thought that there may have been slight traces of phosperous still in or on the metal somewhere.

However no one has ever enquired about contraband foodstuffs or plants even when in the car in plain sight.

Fish and plant based is ok apparently.

Taking food and drink into France
You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions such as powdered baby milk, baby food and special foods or pet feed required for medical reasons.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements?hl=en-GB

And this from the Kennel Club
new restrictions apply regarding taking pet food from Great Britain into the EU (and Northern Ireland from 1 October 2021). You can no longer take products of animal origin with you, including pet food. A limited exemption applies for special pet food required for medical reasons, as long as it weighs less than 2 kilograms. Unless you qualify for the exemption you will need to plan where you will be purchasing your dog’s food from when abroad.

Maybe just buy it in France next time as it's a French product?
Irritating I know.

escaped

Officially, Oldbat1 you are not allowed to bring meat or dairy-based dog food with you. However, we don't do it secretly because a 12kg sack of dog food is the size of a suitcase and is always on full view in our car. We use different ports to enter France - St. Malo, Roscoff, Caen and no one is at all bothered to ask about the dog food. Leaving from Portsmouth and Plymouth it's the same thing, they search the car but are only interested in weapons.
Our dog eats a specific kind of dog food which you can't just buy off the shelf in a supermarket or in a pet store, it needs to be ordered.

It is still an illegal practice no matter how justified you feel. You are only permitted with a veterinary letter to take 2kg of unopened dog food and only for medical reasons. The eu customs directive is 5yrs old now please check the official guidance. Taking your pet with you is a luxury not a necessity. Doesnt matter which port you use it isnt legally permitted and is law breaking.

Officially, Oldbat1 you are not allowed to bring meat or dairy-based dog food with you. However, we don't do it secretly because a 12kg sack of dog food is the size of a suitcase and is always on full view in our car. We use different ports to enter France - St. Malo, Roscoff, Caen and no one is at all bothered to ask about the dog food. Leaving from Portsmouth and Plymouth it's the same thing, they search the car but are only interested in weapons.
Our dog eats a specific kind of dog food which you can't just buy off the shelf in a supermarket or in a pet store, it needs to be ordered.

We went to Italy during the last foot and mouth outbreak here and there were notices all over the airport in Italy about what foods were banned.

LOUISA1523

Georgesgran

No, Gran10.

I often watch a programme about Customs in Australia where they confiscate various foods brought into the county on overseas flights and impose large on the spot fines.

Aus is super careful...we travel to Perth most years...you can't take loads of diff foods in...you can't take plants or seeds in...I had a pencil taken off me cos its wood ( could have bugs in it they said) ....20 mins before we land they spray the cabin with stuff....and we've had to walk thru sheep dip type stuff several times when there's been particular scares on...the aussies don't take any risks

They let me take a Welsh love spoon in!

escaped

Apparently chocolate is OK. Phew!

Ironically we take a month's sack of meat based dog food with us across to France every time we travel. We've never been questioned, but our excuse is the product is manufactured in France so it's actually going home.

I'm in favour of any measures to protect our livestock. DS2 was training in the army in 2001, and he can well remember having to clean and disinfect boots and clothes all day long.

Well you are smuggling!

I remember one year when DH had driven over to Normandy on his own, meeting up with others in the family, for the D-Day celebrations in Ouistreham.
He brought home a boot full of cheeses, fruit- including the most gorgeous melons, aubergines and other delicious things. No alcohol as we didn’t particularly need or want any but Customs went through his car with a fine tooth comb virtually stripping it back to the bone, apparently thinking he had filled it with cheese to cover up the smell of illegal substances from the sniffer dogs!

Will the ban cover tinned food? I buy tins of confit de canard.

I have never taken much food to France when we had a home there - only marmite and loose leaf tea. But confit de canard........

Apparently chocolate is OK. Phew!

Ironically we take a month's sack of meat based dog food with us across to France every time we travel. We've never been questioned, but our excuse is the product is manufactured in France so it's actually going home.

I'm in favour of any measures to protect our livestock. DS2 was training in the army in 2001, and he can well remember having to clean and disinfect boots and clothes all day long.