Yes I was asked as I arrived back to the UK.
Others with greater scientific knowledge will no doubt explain, but it’s always puzzled me how cows can catch foot and mouth from a ham and cheese sandwich.
Its all about the money money money…
With thanks to Meja
I knew it would cause issue but the frozen meat I bought back was from UK frozen meat I took out with me not EU sourced apart from that which was EU sourced originally.
I just did what any MP would do…
The last outbreak in the Uk supposedly started in pigs - fed with unsterilized foodscraps.
Not 100% sure this is true, but it was devastating for the farming community.
We were househunting at the time and driving through areas with fires burning was horrid
Cows and pigs are both cloven footed animals which can catch foot and mouth.
If the ham is contaminated and left in an open waste bin it can be eaten by birds which can pass the contamination onto the cows.
This happened to our farm via school dinner waste.
yep, I recall F&Mouth from 2001, ghastly times for farmers etc
Frankly, I’ve no problem complying with the restrictions, we’ll do as we did back then… eat our ham sandwiches (whatever) before entering any restricted area/country and (as Jane says) we left our debris in the bins provided before continuing our travels.
At least they are not blaming bats in a Wuhan market. The outbreak started in Hungary and Slovakia. No new cases in Hungary last week as they took measures to disinfect trucks and other potentials. Being a virus it can travel via the air just like others. I can understand Briton being concerned as faeces from humans is discharged into rivers with surprising regularity. A bad practice likely to spread diseases much quicker than your cheese and ham sandwich. Its not just cows and sheep other hooved animals can catch and spread it like forest deer etc. Hopefully its contained and fades out quickly.
Yes it was the other way round back then, I remember having to drive my lorry through a straw strewn wheel wash after re-entering through Calais. And I believe that our blood was unwanted by the blood banks here.
I’m pretty sure that’s still the case but I think it was more to do with mad cow disease which, of course, wasn’t an issue in France (ahem).
Oh, of course, I was confused. 
Where I worked in the UK, Everyone had to go through the sheepdip 
as well as all Vehicles… coming onto the Site and going-out again.
Daft me… long before 2001… I joined the company in the '80s . so it would be MCows
but whatever, whenever travelling between France and UK… the signs were clear for all… and, if necessary, it was sheepdip and our sandwiches were swiftly munched
It is. If you lived in UK for more than 6 months between 1980 and 1997. So anyone under 28 can donate.
Thank goodness for that, I am with Hancock, the amount they take is very nearly an armful. 
Thinking about it, I am sure they are right to refuse mine, the fury I get myself into these days over the slightest thing I am sure my blood must be full of mad cow disease.
I was visiting the UK when they slaughtered and burnt all the cattle and sheep in the village where I was staying. The huge mound of corpses stretched for tens of metres, while the smell of burnt hair pervaded everything and lingered for days.
And afterwards, the fields were empty for a year…
Only about 50 years out.
I used to give in UK.
I think you still cannot donate blood in France, even now, if you lived in the UK in the CJD years.
Yes, that’s the case.
Anyone having any doubt about importing certain foods into UK should listen to today’s ‘Farming Today’ programme on Radio 4.