SMUGGLED MEAT: The hidden dangers of illicit food trade – a global concern
09/14/2025 / By Olivia Cook
- A September 2025 report revealed that more than 235,000 kilos of illegal meat entered the U.K. last year, sparking warnings of the biggest food safety crisis since the horse meat scandal in 2013.
- Smuggled meat bypasses refrigeration and inspection, creating prime conditions for bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli – all of which are increasing in reported infections.
- Beyond food poisoning, illegal imports can carry devastating livestock diseases, such as African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, capable of crippling farms and economies.
- Experts stress that tackling meat smuggling requires global cooperation, stronger enforcement and consumer vigilance because food safety begins at the border but ends at your plate.
Picture this: a suitcase rolling off the baggage carousel at Dover. Instead of clothes, it’s crammed with an entire pig, legs crudely hacked off so it would fit inside. This grotesque discovery is not fiction but an example cited in the Daily Mail report based on findings from the U.K. Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA). That report warned Britain may be “sleepwalking” into the biggest food safety crisis since the horse meat scandal of 2013.
And the U.K. is not alone. From Los Angeles shipping docks to the Texas-Mexico border, the United States is facing its own meat smuggling surge. The threat isn’t just economic. It is a silent risk sitting on dinner plates, in grocery carts and in farmyards.
According to the EFRA report, more than 235,000 kilos (about 518,086.32 pounds) of potentially hazardous animal products slipped into Britain in 2024. Much of it arrived in cars, vans and passenger vehicles crossing through the Channel Tunnel.
Lawmakers emphasized that this meat often bypassed refrigeration and inspection, creating perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, such as Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli.
The U.K. Health Security Agency (HSA) documented a 13 percent rise in listeriosis cases compared to the five-year average, while Salmonella and Campylobacter infections were also climbing.
The report also stressed that illegal imports carried a high risk of introducing animal diseases. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF), both highly contagious, have already surged in Europe and beyond. In Germany, a single outbreak of FMD – likely caused by smuggled meat – was estimated to have cost the economy one billion Euros (approximately $1.2 million).
Similar concerns have been raised in the United States. Food Safety News reported in January 2022 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted nearly 20,000 pounds of prohibited beef, chicken, duck and pork at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport in just two months. The shipments were hidden in boxes of headphones, household goods and swim fins to evade inspection.
At the Texas border, CBP officers discovered pork bologna rolls and turkey ham concealed beneath blankets and car seats. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), many of these shipments originated from countries where livestock diseases, such as ASF, avian influenza, classical swine fever and Newcastle disease remain active.
A February 2022 report in Dairy Herd Management noted that the number of prohibited animal product shipments intercepted at U.S. ports nearly doubled in 2020 compared to the previous year. Officials cautioned that even small amounts of contaminated meat could introduce disease into the U.S. herd, threatening the pork industry valued at $8.5 billion annually.
Despite these risks, smugglers often faced only minimal civil fines – penalties unlikely to deter participation in a global black market trade.
Why meat smuggling thrives
The food smuggling trade is fueled by three forces:
- Profit margins: Cheaply raised or processed meat overseas can be sold for big gains in markets starved for lower prices.
- Consumer demand: Certain communities seek culturally specific products unavailable through legal channels. Others, squeezed by the cost of living crisis, gravitate toward cheaper options – even at hidden risk.
- Weak enforcement: Border officers acknowledge they cannot search every vehicle or shipping container. Smugglers exploit this by hiding goods in everyday cargo and taking advantage of loopholes in global trade.
A 2018 study published in Trends in Food Science & Technology found that meat products top the list of illegally traded foods in the European Union. Researchers warned that illicit food often bypasses inspections, leading to outbreaks that cost governments millions to contain. The study also drew parallels with tobacco smuggling, noting that international coordination, tracking systems and consumer awareness had proven effective in reducing that illicit trade.
What needs to change
Experts argue that the fight against smuggling demands urgent action. In Britain, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee urged the creation of a national task force with stronger intelligence networks, harsher penalties and better resources for port authorities. In the U.S., officials at CBP and APHIS have called for more inspection capacity and closer coordination to keep contaminated meat out.
But governments cannot do it alone. Consumers play a role, too. By demanding transparency, shopping from trusted retailers and avoiding “too-good-to-be-true” bargains, they help reduce the demand that keeps smugglers in business.
Food safety isn’t just about washing hands or cooking meat thoroughly. Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch said, “It is a comprehensive approach that encompasses every aspect of food production, from the farm to the table, to ensure that the food people consume is safe and nutritious, free from contaminants and supports health and well-being.” That is why it is vital to check what crosses borders.
Watch this video about criminals running the food chain.
This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Honest labeling was consumers’ biggest concern in horse meat scandal.
Horse meat found in yet more frozen dinners.
China food scandal: Rat meat sold as lamb meat.
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Tagged Under:
african swine fever, bacteria contamination, clean food watch, food handling, food poisoning, food safety, food safety crisis, food-and-mouth-disease, foodborne illness, horse meat scandal, illicit food trade, potentially hazardous foods, smuggled meat, zoonotic diseases
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