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

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

I don't think M0nica is saying that!

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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?

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.

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? 😕

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.

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

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. 🇬🇧

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?

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.

All on board now Mollygo and sailing into beautiful blue skies.
No mention of anything by officials at the French port. No questions, asked, just drove through, so no chance to even declare or otherwise. No checks in the car either by the elusive security patrols

Apparently, however, beady-eyed DGD in her vehicle spotted a small A4 poster on the customs cabin saying no cheese, dairy, or meat products. It's that usual laidback French attitude to regulations, but then it's not their problem!

It might be a different story once on British soil, so I will keep you posted. (If you're remotely interested. 😉) 🌊 ⛴️

PS I'm not an international spy intent on shopping anyone, but someone in a camper van next to us waiting for the ferry this morning got out their carton of milk to make a cup of tea, and butter for their croissants! Maybe they will chuck it all overboard on the ferry.

escaped

PS I'm not an international spy intent on shopping anyone, but someone in a camper van next to us waiting for the ferry this morning got out their carton of milk to make a cup of tea, and butter for their croissants! Maybe they will chuck it all overboard on the ferry.

Of course I’m interested.
We will be in France later this year and I usually bring back Rillettes and cheese.
I won’t do it 😥 if the ban is still in place but who knows.
I’m still interested in whether the ban will eventually affect the European products which I am still buying at the supermarket, some of which bear the strange message
not for EU

I am quite frankly horrified and disgusted at how many on here openly boasting how they knowingly break laws! Why? So they can bring sausages, meats, dairy and dog food with them???? I hope you get caught and foned. More importantly I hope you will not be the cause of foot and mouth coming to UK. Hang your heads in shame.

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.

I watch that too. People hoping to waltz through Nothing to Declare when they have huge amounts of food. Good for Australia. We could take a leaf out of their book on a few issues.

Well, I'm not a smuggler, and I've not broken the law at all! If I had, however, then I'd be sitting here now eating my camembert and yummy French steak because arriving in Portsmouth .....
No questions were asked
No signs anywhere about restrictions (all 6 of us were looking out for them)
No security check of the vehicle
Maybe customs at Portsmouth haven't received the memo from Keir yet. (Or they've had so many memos they can't keep up!)

Lovely sunny afternoon, smiley officials.

And the dog scoffed all his treats on the ferry.

😆

Jaxjacky

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 wouldn't dream of breaching the current new regulations because they have been applied specifically because of the foot and mouth putbreak.

Thata is very different from ignoring a law not based on a specific danger where the law makers themselves cannot be bothered to do anything about enforcing it.

It lays out the big difference between attitudes to the law in our different countries. In Britain, we go on common law, where the individuals to a contract agree their own terms and it is considered criminal to breach them.

In a number of European countries they have law codes, drawn up by adminstrators, who never have to enforce or work with the law. The ordinary people face with laws that govern everything they do, but are often impractical and impossible to work with, have developed ways to deal with the problem that occur, dealing 'under the table' as the French say.

The same applies to countries. France will sign up to European regulations, but then just not make any effort to enforge them.

When in France I follow French noms, in the UK I follow British, but any law anywhere will be followed meticulously where there is a clear and present health and safety issue.

I understand MOnica we lived in Françe for 8 months of each year 2015-18.
A lot of Europe were the same when the smoking ban came in, even when we lived there for ‘lock ins’

Just spotted this article:

UK ban on EU cheese and meat: What it means for you

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qn7jzj3qgo

The ban only applies to travellers bringing in items personally - not commercial importers such as farmers or shops as commercial meat and cheese imports face higher standards than individuals are subjected to.

They must go through heat treatment, which is meant to kill germs, and come with health certificates signed by vets.

It doesn't cover Northern Ireland either - which apparently is doing something else???
I seem to have missed that!
(Sorry if someone said it earlier).

I am a bit concerned, because our dog food comes from Ireland. Sometimes my nephew brings it over for us.

Going on the statement above
^ They must go through heat treatment, which is meant to kill germs, and come with health certificates signed by vets.^
Does that mean that EU members, buying meat, cheese, or other dairy products from the supermarket where we would buy Rillettes, cheese etc. are expected to survive on food that hasn’t been heat treated?