Travellers could face penalties of up to £5,000 for bringing certain items into England, even if they were purchased at the duty free section of your departing airport.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued an update at the end of March, urging holidaymakers to "take a simple step to help protect GB from animal diseases".

It added: "To protect our animals from the devastating effects of diseases like foot and mouth, it's illegal to bring meats such as lamb, pork or beef or dairy products from the EU into GB in your luggage.

"This means items such as cheese, cured or raw meats, sandwiches and milk, including duty free purchases. Products will be seized and you risk fines."

Restrictions exist on bringing meat, dairy, fish and animal products as well as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds into Great Britain from overseas.

Should you declare prohibited food products to Border Force officers at customs, they will confiscate and destroy them.

Further guidance on Gov.uk warns: "If you do not declare banned food products, you could be fined up to £5,000 (in England) or you could be prosecuted."

Rules around bringing in meat, dairy, fish and other animal products vary depending on the country of origin.

If you are travelling from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland you cannot bring in any of the following:

cheese, milk and dairy products like butter and yoghurt

• pork


• beef


• lamb


• mutton


• goat


• venison


• other products made from these meats, for example sausages

You can bring in the following for personal use:

• fish


• poultry, for example chicken, duck, goose and any other products made from these meats


• other animal products, for example eggs and honey

You can also bring in up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food needed for medical reasons. You can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use).

If you're coming from a country outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, you cannot bring any meat or meat products, or milk or milk-based products, except for powdered infant milk, infant food or special food needed for medical reasons.

You can bring in up to 2kg per person of:

• honey


• powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food (including pet food) needed for medical reasons - you can only bring it in if it does not need to be refrigerated before use, and is in branded, unopened packaging (unless in current use)


• live mussels or oysters


• snails - these must be preserved or shelled, cooked and prepared


• frogs' legs - these must be the back (hind) part of the frog with the skin and internal organs removed


• insect protein

You can bring in up to 20kg per person in total of fish, including:

• fresh fish (must be gutted)


• fish products


• processed fish - must be dried, cooked, cured or smoked


• lobsters


• prawns