Guidance

7 March 2025: Outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Hungary

Updated 7 March 2025

OVS note 2025/19

7 March 2025

Purpose

1) To inform you that, following a recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Hungary, 1 kilometre from the border with Slovakia, commercial imports of commodities from FMD-susceptible animals from the whole territories of Hungary and Slovakia are suspended:

• live animals
• germplasm
• fresh meat
• meat products that have not been subject to heat treatment D1, D, C or B as defined in Annex 1.
• raw and pasteurised milk and raw and pasteurised milk products (including colostrum)
• certain animal by-products (a full list of which is provided in Annex 2)
• animal casings
• untreated wool and hair.

2) To inform you that commercial imports of hay and straw from the whole territories of Hungary and Slovakia are suspended.

Background

3) Hungary notified World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) on 7 March 2025: WAHIS. The outbreak was detected in a cattle herd on a farm in Kisbajcs, 1 kilometre from the border with Slovakia. As a result of this outbreak Hungary has lost its FMD-free status.

4) To mitigate against the threat of FMD, commercial imports of susceptible commodities from the whole territory of Hungary have been suspended from 7 March 2025. Due to the proximity of the outbreak with Slovakia, these measures also apply to the whole territory of Slovakia.

5) The UK Office for SPS Trade Assurance amended its third country listings on 7 March 2025 to suspend the following commodities from FMD-susceptible animals from the whole territory of Hungary and Slovakia:

a) Live ungulates: through the removal of BOV-X, BOV-Y, OVI-X, OVI-Y, RUM, and SUI certificates from Hungary’s and Slovakia’s entries in the live ungulates third country listing.

b) Ruminant and porcine germplasm: through amendments to the porcine semen, bovine semen, bovine embryos, ovine and caprine embryos, and ovine and caprine semen third country listings. Porcine semen from the whole territories of Hungary and Slovakia is already restricted due to an outbreak of ASF. It is now additionally restricted due to the outbreak of FMD.

c) Fresh meat of ungulates: through the removal of BOV, OVI, RUF, RUW, SUF, and SUW certificates from Hungary’s and Slovakia’s entries in the fresh meat of ungulates third country listing.

d) Meat products that have not been subject to at least heat treatment D1, D, C or B as defined in Annex 1. This has been achieved through the application of treatment D1 in columns 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11 in the meat products third country listing for both Hungary and Slovakia. Imports of meat products derived from FMD-susceptible animals subject to at least heat treatment D1 are still permitted.

e) Raw and pasteurised milk and raw and pasteurised milk products (including colostrum): through amendments to columns A and B in Hungary’s and Slovakia’s entries in the milk and milk products third country listing. Imports of milk and milk products under column C are still permitted.

For clarity Annex 1 sets out the specific risk mitigating treatments that are acceptable for imports of meat and dairy products from Hungary and Slovakia.

6) FMD-susceptible animals under the Foot and Mouth Disease (England) Order 2006 means ‘a cow, bull, sheep, goat, deer, camel, llama, alpaca, guanaco, vicuna, any other ruminant, any swine (that is, a member of the suborder Suina of the order Artiodactyla), elephant or rodent (other than a pet rodent)’.

7) In addition, safeguard declarations have today been published to suspend commercial imports of a) hay and straw originating in Hungary or Slovakia, and b) certain animal by-products of susceptible animals, where the animal by-product originates from Hungary or Slovakia (a full list of which is provided in Annex 2). The restrictions are given effect in the following declarations, published on our imports topical issues page:

• Foot and mouth disease - declaration of special measures: importation of certain products from Hungary and Slovakia (England)
• Foot and mouth disease - declaration of special measures: importation of certain products from Hungary and Slovakia (Scotland)
• Foot and mouth disease - declaration of special measures: importation of certain products from Hungary and Slovakia (Wales)

These safeguard measures apply from 8 March 2025 and will continue to apply until they are revoked or amended.

8) Imports of ABPs that are not restricted in the forthcoming safeguard measures (see Annex 2) and are not already restricted because of changes to Hungary’s and Slovakia’s country listings (see Annex 3) should be permitted entry if they meet all other import requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, intermediate products, research and diagnostic samples and other commodities covered by general import authorisations and licences.

9) Please note that the following two general import authorisations for ABP from EU and EFTA member states have been revoked and replaced as set out below:

a)    IMP/GEN/2025/01 has been revoked and replaced with a new general import authorisation IMP/GEN/2025/03.

b) IMP/GEN/2025/02 has been revoked and replaced with a new general import authorisation IMP/GEN/2025/04.

These new general import authorisations cannot be used for non-harmonised ABP/derived products or display items originating from Hungary or Slovakia, that were obtained from any of the following animals:

cow, bull, sheep, goat, deer, camel, llama, alpaca, guanaco, vicuna, any other ruminant, any swine (that is, a member of the suborder Suina of the order Artiodactyla), elephant or rodent (other than a pet rodent).

10) Imports of untreated wool and hair (see OVS note 2025/05) and casings (see OVS note 2025/06) of FMD-susceptible animals from any countries, or zones within countries, that are not recognised by WOAH as free of FMD have already been suspended through TARP declarations. These declarations have now been updated to suspend imports of the same products from Hungary and Slovakia. The restrictions are given effect in the following declarations, published on our topical issues page:

Untreated wool and hair:

• Declaration of special measures: importation of untreated wool and hair from Hungary and Slovakia (England)
• Declaration of special measures: importation of untreated wool and hair from Hungary and Slovakia (Scotland)
• Declaration of special measures: importation of untreated wool and hair from Hungary and Slovakia (Wales)

Animal casings:

• Declaration of special measures: importation of animal casings from susceptible animals from Hungary and Slovakia (England)
• Declaration of special measures: importation of animal casings from susceptible animals from Hungary and Slovakia (Scotland)
• Declaration of special measures: importation of animal casings from susceptible animals from Hungary and Slovakia (Wales)

These safeguard measures apply from 8 March 2025 and will continue to apply until they are revoked or amended.

11) Please refer to the guidance in OVS note 2025/13 on acceptable supporting documentation for imports of animal by-products not intended for human consumption following an outbreak of FMD.

12) Please note, any goods originating from Hungary that have been held at the border as a consequence of the outbreak of FMD in Hungary can be returned to Hungary on a voluntary basis, subject to agreement by the veterinary authorities in Hungary. Any goods originating from Slovakia as a consequence of this outbreak can be returned to Slovakia on a voluntary basis, subject to agreement by the veterinary authorities in Slovakia.

13) For your information, where a vehicle or trailer contains multiple consignments, and one or more of those consignments have been detained, it is permitted to release those consignments that have not been detained.

14) Where a vehicle or a trailer has been detained at a BCP containing Hungarian or Slovakian origin animal origin products subject to Foot and Mouth restrictions and otherwise compliant non-Hungarian and non-Slovakian origin animal origin products, it is permitted to split the load and sometimes the consignment and release the non- Hungarian origin animal origin consignments in certain circumstances. These circumstances include:

• Where fresh meat consignments are wrapped and packaged in such a way as to minimise the likelihood of cross contamination. For example, where the POAO is sealed and in end consumer packaging or when boxed and there is no evidence of cross contamination between the boxes
• Where the frozen consignments are well packaged in boxes and the meat within is not in direct contact with the Hungarian origin POAO.

Splitting of the consignment is not possible where the POAO subject to Foot and Mouth restrictions is in direct contact or close non barrier contact with the non- impacted consignment, or, where splitting the consignments would result in direct contact or the potential for direct or very close non barrier contact. For example, where there are hanging carcasses within a vehicle trailer of mixed origin all the carcasses in the consignments (and all consignments in the load) would be detained.

Given the range of circumstances in which goods can be presented to the BCP, BCP inspectors should apply professional judgement when deciding if there is a strong likelihood of cross contamination within a consignment, before rejecting non- Hungarian POAO products.

Annex 1

Meat products intended for human consumption – acceptable risk mitigating treatments (Annex II, Part 4 of Assimilated Decision 2007/777)

B - Treatment in a hermetically sealed container to an Fo value of three or more.

C - A minimum temperature of 80°C which must be reached throughout the meat and/or stomachs, bladders and intestines during the processing of the meat product and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines.

D - A minimum temperature of 70°C which must be reached throughout the meat and/or stomachs, bladders and intestines during the processing of meat products and treated stomachs, bladders and intestines, or for raw ham, a treatment consisting of natural fermentation and maturation of not less than nine months and resulting in the following characteristics:

• Aw value of not more than 0.93,
• pH value of not more than 6.0.

D1 - Thorough cooking of meat, previously deboned and defatted, subjected to heating so that an internal temperature of 70°C or greater is maintained for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Treatments D and D1 are sufficient for the imports of meat products using meat from FMD susceptible animals except for products made with pork coming from African Swine Fever (ASF) Restricted Zones III (ASF present in domestic pigs). For those products, the overlapping ASF-related conditions (treatment C) must be complied with as per the list.

Milk and dairy products including colostrum for human consumption – acceptable risk mitigating treatments (Article 4 of Assimilated Regulation 605/2010)

The product must undergo one of the following treatments:

a) a sterilisation process, to achieve an Fo value equal to or greater than three; or

b) an ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment at not less than 135°C in combination with a suitable holding time; or

(i) a high temperature short time pasteurisation treatment (HTST) at 72°C for 15 seconds applied twice to milk with a pH equal to or greater than 7.0 achieving, where applicable, a negative reaction to an alkaline phosphatase test, applied immediately after the heat treatment; or

(ii) a treatment with an equivalent pasteurisation effect to point (i) achieving, where applicable, a negative reaction to an alkaline phosphatase test, applied immediately after the heat treatment;

d) a HTST treatment of milk with a pH below 7.0; or

e) a HTST treatment combined with another physical treatment by either:

• lowering the pH below 6 for one hour, or
• additional heating equal to or greater than 72°C, combined with desiccation.

Annex 2

Safeguard declaration restrictions

The safeguard declarations suspend imports of hay and straw originating from Hungary or Slovakia, and imports of the following animal by-products of susceptible animals, where the animal by-product originates from Hungary or Slovakia:

a) Wool and hair, unless it complies with sub-paragraph (c) or (d) in Article 25 (2) of Regulation 142/2011

b) Untreated pig bristles (GBHC571)

c) Pig bristles (GBHC570), unless boiled for at least one hour

d) Treated hides and skins (GBHC541 & GBHC542), except:

1. hides and skins having undergone the complete process of tanning;
2. wet blue;
3. pickled pelts;
4. limed hides which have been treated with lime and in brine at a pH of 12 to 13 for at least eight hours.

e) Untreated game trophies and other preparations of ungulates consisting of entire anatomical parts (GBHC543)

f) Treated game trophies or other preparations consisting of hides and skins (GBHC544), except those referred to in paragraph (1) of Section 5 of Chapter II of Annex 14 to Regulation 142/2011.

g) Treated game trophies or other preparations consisting of bone, horns, hooves, claws, antlers or teeth (GBHC544), except those referred to in paragraph (1) of Section 5 of Chapter II of Annex 14 to Regulation 142/2011, unless immersed in boiling water for an appropriate time so as to ensure that any matter other than bone, horns, hooves, claws, antlers or teeth is removed, and disinfected with hydrogen peroxide where parts consisting of bone are concerned.

h) Rendered fats for use outside the feed chain (GBHC511), unless subjected to one of the processing methods 1 to 5 as referred to in Chapter III of Annex IV to Regulation 142/2011.

I) Fat derivatives (GBHC513 and GBHC512) unless subjected to one of the following treatments:

1. transesterification or hydrolysis at least 200°C, under corresponding appropriate pressure, for 20 minutes (glycerol, fatty acids and esters);
2. hydrogenation at 160°C at 12 bars (12000 hPa) pressure for 20 minutes;
3. any of the processing methods 1 to 5, as referred to in Chapter III of Annex IV to Regulation 142/2011; or
4. saponification with NaOH 12M (glycerol and soap) in a—
   1. batch process at 95°C for three hours; or
   2. continuous process at 140°C, 2 bars (2000 hPa) for eight minutes.

j) Milk, milk-based products and milk-derived products not for human consumption (GBHC583)

k) Colostrum and colostrum products (GBHC587)

l) Bones and bone products, horns and horn products and hooves and hoof products intended for use other than as feed material organic fertilisers or soil improvers, unless accompanied by a commercial document stamped by the Competent Authority supervising the establishment of origin that one of the treatments referred to in points (iii), (iv) or (v) of paragraph 2(d) of Annex XIV, Chapter II, Section 7 of Regulation 142/2011 has been applied.

m) Processed manure from FMD-susceptible animals (GBHC550).

n) Dog chews (GBHC563) made from untanned hides and skins or from bones of susceptible animals. Other types of dog chew will continue to be permitted if they comply with the treatment requirements in GBHC563.

o) Processed petfood (other than canned petfood) unless it has been subjected to one of the treatments referred to in points (i), (ii), (iii) or (v) of paragraph 3(b) of Chapter II in Annex XIII to Regulation 142/2011.

Annex 3

ABP imports affected by suspension of Hungary’s approvals in the fresh meat of ungulates list and milk and milk products lists

Some ABPs are required to originate from countries or zones approved for fresh meat of the corresponding species in the fresh meat of ungulates list or raw milk, dairy products, colostrum and colostrum-based products list, in accordance with Article 2 of EUR 2010/605.

Imports of these ABPs from Hungary and Slovakia are now restricted as the suspension of Hungary’s and Slovakia’s approvals in the fresh meat of ungulates list and milk and milk products lists (with Hungary and Slovakia now only approved for products covered under Column C in the latter) means they cannot comply with country-of-origin requirements.

This affects some of the products imported with the following certificates:

• Blood products for feed material (GBHC500)
• Untreated blood products, excluding from equidae, for the manufacture of derived products for uses outside the feed chain for farmed animals (GBHC502)
• Colostrum, colostrum products (GBHC587)
• Fresh or chilled hides and skins (GBHC540)
• Raw petfood (GBHC562)
• Flavouring innards for the manufacture of petfood (GBHC564)
• Animal by-products for the manufacture of petfood other than raw petfood (GBHC565)
• Animal by-products for the manufacture of products for uses outside the feed chain for farmed animals (GBHC580).

Actions for OVSs

1. To note the contents of this OVS note.

Contact point for enquiries

bbtp-issue-triage@defra.gov.uk

imports@apha.gov.uk

Imports and EU Trade Team