Taking food to Italy from the UK?

silvara

Hi there, I did a search both on here and on google about what foodstuffs you can take on a plane (in your suitcase, not as a carry on) but am finding it's difficult to get a definate answer.
Basically I am staying with a friend next week in Italy, and she has asked if I can take her sausages and bacon (she greatly misses the UK products!!). Am I allowed to take those food products in my case as long as they are completely inopened, or are these types of products illegal to take into Italy? As mentioned I looked onine but was unable to find an exact list of what can be taken...
Any advice would be appreciated - I don't want to help her out by doing this and find that I get a fine over it or something....
Many thanks in advance!

luci

Products of animal origin:
Apart from some exceptions the Community rules do not allow the importation of meat, meat products, milk and milk products by travellers.

http://italy.visahq.co.uk/customs/

silvara

Thanks very much for the link! Guess I will have to say no to her request...

Bob_the_Saver

luci wrote: »

http://italy.visahq.co.uk/customs/

But the OP wasn't planning to import it in to the community (EU),
it's already there so this doesn't apply.

http://europa.eu/travel/shop/index_en.htm

Meat, dairy and other animal products

There are no general restrictions on carrying any of these products if you are travelling within the EU since all EU countries have to respect strict common veterinary standards. The same applies if you are travelling from Andorra, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland. However, some restrictions may apply under specific circumstances, such as localised animal disease outbreaks.

If you are arriving in the EU from other countries not mentioned above, you cannot bring with you any meat, milk or their products without official veterinary documentation. This is to prevent introducing any serious animal diseases into the EU. You are, however, allowed to bring in powdered infant milk, infant food and foods required for medical reasons under certain conditions. You may also bring in limited quantities, for personal consumption, of other animal products including fishery products, snails and honey. Travellers arriving from Croatia, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland may bring small quantities of meat and dairy products for personal consumption.

dzug1

Those rules apply to imports from outside the EU. They are community rules, not Italian ones.

Whether they are less stringent for internal EU imports I don't know. The UK has very similar rules - but does allow food movements from within the EU. I don't see why Italy would be any different.

tarkytarks

I did a year abroad in Sweden and we used to take all sorts over - mainly cheese, butter, sausages & bacon. There was a funny moment when my friend realised the bottle of fairy liquid he was also bringing over (it was before the limit on liquids) had leaked in his bag - all over the man in customs who was doing a spot check
This was to sweden ofc but I *think* it's OK within any EU country.

silvara

Thanks for all the advice, it's certainly much appreciated!

unsure

If you are taking sausages and bacon and freeze them first and put them in a carrier bag inside the hold luggage so they don't go off during the several hours of travelling. They can slowly defrost en route (but would then have to be cooked before being refrozen)!