The United Kingdom is facing a mounting and underappreciated threat to its food security, animal welfare, and public health. A parliamentary committee has issued a stark warning about the “alarming” surge in smuggled meat and dairy entering the country, exposing glaring vulnerabilities in the nation’s border controls and regulatory oversight. As pressures from Brexit, the cost-of-living crisis, and the spread of animal disease in Europe converge, the UK now finds itself vulnerable to a potential biosecurity disaster.

The scale of the problem, while only partially measurable, is deeply concerning. According to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Defra), border officials seized 235 tonnes of smuggled meat and dairy in 2024 alone, across more than 2,600 incidents. The average seizure amounted to 158 kilograms, suggesting these are not minor cases of personal overconsumption but deliberate, organized smuggling efforts.

Committee members warned that these seizures likely represent only a fraction of the total illicit trade, describing them as “the tip of the iceberg.” For every smuggler caught, countless others slip through undetected, ferrying unregulated and potentially diseased products into British markets.

Several overlapping factors appear to be fueling this rise. Animal disease outbreaks in Europe, particularly in countries such as Romania and Moldova, have disrupted domestic meat and dairy markets. This has created a strong incentive for smugglers to push their products abroad, targeting the UK where demand for cheaper alternatives has grown amid spiraling living costs.

Brexit has also played a role. The introduction of border checks for commercial imports from the European Union in April 2023 was meant........

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