Brexit: UK sausage makers face EU export ban
Raw sausages and other minced meats can no longer be exported to the EU from 1 January, according to new rules.
The guidance is part of the post-Brexit trade deal agreed between the UK and the EU last week.
Meat industry bodies attended a conference call with ministers on Tuesday to seek clarification about the issue.
The British Meat Processors Association said it was one of several issues causing concern.
New EU rules on exports dictate that from 1 January, the following animal products cannot be exported into the EU:
- Chilled minced red meat
- Chilled meat preparations (for example, raw sausages)
- Minced meat (poultry)
- Poultry and ratite or game bird mechanically-separated meat
- Raw milk from cows infected with Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)
- Ungraded eggs
- Composite products containing dairy products made from unpasteurised milk (for example, a ready meal topped with unpasteurised cheese)
However, these new rules do not affect exports of raw minced meats to Northern Ireland.
The British Meat Processors Association’s (BMPA) chief executive Nick Allen said: “This was just one of the issues that was causing us some concern, but I guess towards the end we sort of knew that wasn’t going to come through in the negotiations, the way they were going.
“We hope they will be carrying on talking to the EU and that they will push through and create an export health safety certificate for these products so they can go through.
By Mary-Ann Russon / BBC
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