Taking home food with you into the EU

GMJ

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I have contacted the EU on this matter and established that any dairy or meat based products cannot be taken into the EU in our MHs. This info was readily available on their website and ion others too however I also asked them about frozen meals and tinned food: which, it transpired, are also banned if they contain meat or dairy.

I then contacted them about quorn based meals - like a chilli or bolognaise sauce - which as we know would be vegetarian.

They replied thus...

Quorn, as a fungus-derived product, is not a product of animal origin. Therefore, if not mixed with any ingredient of animal origin, there is no particular requirement to import in the EU.

More generally, there are no specific guidelines or legal provisions that specify which information must be shown. Normally the product description is on the packaging and that will be the information that custom officers could be expected to look at.

Finally, quorn is also available on the mainland.



So there we are: take an empty packet with you plus a translation maybe.

How they can tell whether a frozen chilli has quorn or meat though will be interesting!
 
The EU were quite specific to me that meat and dairy were not allowed in any form...

“The current rules banning the introduction into the EU by travellers of meat, milk or their products do not distinguish the state under which these products are at the time of entering the territory of the European Union”
 
I appreciate that but we don't want to have to visit a supermarket as the first thing we do when we get to France. For our winter trip to Spain in January we try to get to south of Rouen for the first night. My wife has MS so only has limited reserves of energy and travelling for long days fatigues her. Adding on an hour to visit a supermarket would be too much.

Of course like most folks, we love visiting shops, supermarkets, markets etc and buy/eat locally whenever we can except for the circumstances mentioned above. On our other trips we will make time for the supermarket and stay somewhere nearer the tunnel for our first night.

We go for 2 months+ in winter so take a freezer full in the MH of home cooked meals (chilli, bolognaise, lasagne, moussaka, curry etc...around 7 of them leaving space for some other stuff) just as an alternative and as a standby whilst we are away. They are useful on travelling days if we don't see a supermarket or have a long journey planned.
 
The one thing I really want to be sure about is that our three month supply of curry paste and Indian pickles can still go with us. It’s all vegan so I would hope so. It’s not the sort of thing that features often on the shelves of French or other European supermarkets. Anything else we are quite happy with the French offerings. Saturday night would never be the same without curry.
 
Yes Id say no problem with that at all. I'm happy to share my email contact with you if you want to email the EU. Send me a private message if you want it.

You can always take a translation of one of the labels if you want to be 100%.

It would be a problem for us as well as I make Indian food from scratch so will have to find space for at least 8 - 10 of my spice containers!
 
I appreciate that but we don't want to have to visit a supermarket as the first thing we do when we get to France. For our winter trip to Spain in January we try to get to south of Rouen for the first night. My wife has MS so only has limited reserves of energy and travelling for long days fatigues her. Adding on an hour to visit a supermarket would be too much.

Of course like most folks, we love visiting shops, supermarkets, markets etc and buy/eat locally whenever we can except for the circumstances mentioned above. On our other trips we will make time for the supermarket and stay somewhere nearer the tunnel for our first night.

We go for 2 months+ in winter so take a freezer full in the MH of home cooked meals (chilli, bolognaise, lasagne, moussaka, curry etc...around 7 of them leaving space for some other stuff) just as an alternative and as a standby whilst we are away. They are useful on travelling days if we don't see a supermarket or have a long journey planned.
Just thinking out of the box could you possibly do a click and collect at one of the larger supermarkets, would save you a bit of time?
 
Seems a little strange when going for 2 months + you can't stand 1 hrs shopping. What's so terrible if you don't make it to Rouen in the 1st day. Why set yourself such strict targets if your wife is not well, it's meant to be a pleasure not a punishment.
 
I have contacted the EU on this matter and established that any dairy or meat based products cannot be taken into the EU in our MHs. This info was readily available on their website and ion others too however I also asked them about frozen meals and tinned food: which, it transpired, are also banned if they contain meat or dairy.

I then contacted them about quorn based meals - like a chilli or bolognaise sauce - which as we know would be vegetarian.

They replied thus...

Quorn, as a fungus-derived product, is not a product of animal origin. Therefore, if not mixed with any ingredient of animal origin, there is no particular requirement to import in the EU.

More generally, there are no specific guidelines or legal provisions that specify which information must be shown. Normally the product description is on the packaging and that will be the information that custom officers could be expected to look at.

Finally, quorn is also available on the mainland.



So there we are: take an empty packet with you plus a translation maybe.

How they can tell whether a frozen chilli has quorn or meat though will be interesting!
And if they can tell that a meal inside a Quorn packet contains meat and you were knowingly contravening the regulations?

A big fine, deportation (without any recompense of ferry/tunnel charges) and a potential re-entry ban to the country for a few years.

Rumour has it they sell edible meat products within Mainland Europe? just a thought for an alternative way forward?
 
Cant really see anyone getting imprisoned or barred for a bit of meat in freezer . How often do you get gas checked ? Maybe best not to risk it but at the moment coming from Yorkshire I would regret throwing good meat out . Maybe they will be checking alcohol limit next , crikey thats scary !
 
what a load of faff and worrying over nothing..
what are they going to do at the ferry port.. check the contents of your fridge?
I doubt it very much..
I for one will be bringing a nice load of lamb chops with me in the freezer compartment and a load of bacon too..
not to mention a nice supply of spliff that the buggers have never detected in the last 15 years I have been going over
 
Cant really see anyone getting imprisoned or barred for a bit of meat in freezer . How often do you get gas checked ?
Gas check is getting on the boat The food is going to be French customs when we get off the boat
 
Soya milk or nut based milks would solve the milk issue.

There are plenty of vegan meat substitutes around these days that have a decent texture and flavour. Burgers, mince, kebab style TVP, and so on.

Fill the fridge up with these and problem solved until first EU shop visit required.
 
Gas check is getting on the boat The food is going to be French customs when we get off the boat
Good point but are they really going to check everybody's fridge? If they do so be it, but I will not worry too much about it. Maybe it will bite me on the bum but we will see. Anyway by the time I get to be in this position others will have gone before so let's see.
 
Two chances, you either get in with your mince, or they confiscate it and that will be it.

Plenty of butchers around, no need to waste time in a supermarket. I love French butchers too, so it's a bonus.

https://goo.gl/maps/5KShi4ERK4ea2H3N8

Its not raw mince I'm alluding to but home cooked meals that have been frozen. When we are in places we will buy local stuff and cook it. The meals are only for travelling down to Spain in January when the weather is usually pretty rubbish and we stay in places not near restaurants etc.
 

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