Bacon to London
 

Hi, this may be an odd question, but what are the rules regarding bringing fully cooked, factory vacuum packed bacon to London from the US? Do they have dogs at the airport sniffing for food in luggage? It will be a small amount for personal consumption by one of our children. I realize London has bacon, but with the BSE/mad cow issue we have decided to not eat any meat whatsoever on our vacation, but want to bring this bacon (sounds strange, but actually tastes good) for one of our children who has a small range of foods that she eats. Thanks.

My understanding is that BSE is a cow disease, leaves opportunity to eat pork, fish, poultry, even veal. Not eating any meat whatsoever sounds like a tough decision to stick with especially traveling with children. Check out the BSE mad cow thread a few pages back, may have more info to help you. Have Fun!

I guess I should have been more specific, we will not be eating any meat, meaning specifically beef, pork, lamb or veal. I have read everything I could find on the whole bse/mad cow subject, including a very good website someone suggested, www.mad-cow.org, and our family has come to the conclusion that it is not worth it for us to risk endangering our children. There are still many unknowns regarding this subject, for example, transmission in blood, milk and milk products. Here in California there is a version of bse that elk can have, so just because they have only found it so far in cows in europe doesn't mean the rest of the animals that are fed animals won't be found eventually to have something. Thanks for the input, but I am basically asking if anyone knows about the rules for bringing meat into Great Britain for personal consumption, not for info on bse/mad cow.

I am about 99% certain you can get away with it. Wrap it double or triple in ZipLock bags, and stick it in the middle of your luggage. <BR> <BR>I personally think you are an idiot to forsake all meat in Europe - - if there was a risk to your children, it is infinitesimally smaller than hundreds of other risks, natural and manmade, that they face everyday - - like driving to the airport in a car. <BR> <BR>But the question deserves an answer, and I an highly confident that you can do what you want to do. <BR> <BR>And you can legally take $9,999 in cash (without a requirement to declare it). Since you are willing to do anything, whether reasonable or not, to safeguard and spoil your child, do this: if they confiscate the bacon, just go to the ticket counter and buy tickets to go right back home. Immediately. <BR> <BR>Cynical and not ashamed of it. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR> <BR>Oh, and p.s. - - I know the stuff you are talking about - - it does indeed taste pretty darn good. <BR>

Usually I don't have a lot of tolerance for sharp and cynical answers like Rex's, but I must agree with him 100%. Avoiding pork because of Mad Cow disease doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Sort of like if your kid had an allergy to nylon, not allowing him to wear wool or cotton. What does bacon have to do with cows? And if you are that concerned with safety, I can't imagine that you can let your child breathe the polluted air of London or walk down a sidewalk where a car might run over the curb and hit him. These are just two of thousands of things that put your child at a far greater risk than getting mad cow disease from bacon! Incidentally, I'd rather find out how I can get that great British bacon (more like what we call Canadian bacon) back to the US instead of the fatty stuff we have.

Rex and Patrick, thank you for your input. By your responses I assume neither of you have children, if you did I think you would be a lot more understanding. I am not so paranoid about life that I am going to hole away my family for fear of pollution or runaway cars, but with regards to this topic, certain risks don't have to be taken. Just as I wouldn't put a gun to my child's head in a game of russian roulette, I will not put a fork to her mouth with european meat. Both have the potential to be deadly and neither is necessary. Scientists are still learning about this disease and have not ruled out that sheep and pigs can be affected, same with milk (the milk study will take three years). I'd rather be safe than sorry, even if that means being stupid in your view. <BR>Thanks, <BR>Pam the idiot

My wife and I have three wonderful daughters. None of them has "innumeracy", as I believe that you do. Innumeracy often afflicts intelligent, well-educated people, the kind of people who can understand the most complicated of legal discussions, the most <BR>nuanced of emotional interchanges, but whose eyes glaze over at the mere mention of a number or a probability. <BR> <BR>See www.math.temple.edu/~paulos for more info on this important subject (including the origin of the last sentence in the preceding paragraph). Maybe when Professor Paulos tells me I should stop eating European beef, I will listen. <BR> <BR>But in all fairness, I have already clearly indicated that you have a good grasp on how to meet the nutritional requirements (preferences?) of your child, and I feel confident that you can (and will) do it. So do it. <BR> <BR>They have no dogs sniffing for food at the airport in London. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR> <BR>

Pam what about the risk of actually getting over here? (I hope you're taking an American-owned airline in case us Europeans try to force some meat down your kid's screech when you visit the bathroom). It's simple paranoia. Unneccessary risks ...flying, walking anywhere, taking a cab, staying in a foreign country, eating ANYTHING are all things I believe you will be doing. <BR> <BR>Your fork to mouth with european meat comment makes us sound like some sort of sub-human lepers, the whole of europe eating diseased meat. <BR> <BR>I'll be honest here - for the first time in my life I've encountered an American whom I would prefer stayed at home. If this is what you think of Europe please don't come. If you do, give us the credit we deserve.

I'm with my fellow european Tony on this. I'd be more worried about the heart disease-inducing qualities of your fatty US bacon.

Anyone who doesn't eat pork due to fears of BSE is already immune.It needs brain tissue to develop in. <BR>If a customs officer finds the bacon he may send you back in case you stay & breed. <BR>Lucky chicken licken hasn't got a website or you'd be too scared to come out at all in case they sky fell on your head. <BR>Enjoy your meatfree break!

As the mother of 3, I have to agree with the majority of people here - you have lost the plot! <BR> <BR>Either you keep your children at home - thereby avoiding the risk of travel, food, foreigners etc., but inflict US hormone injected ebbef on them. <BR> <BR>Or you stop closeting them and let them live their lives as normal human beings.

Here is the excerpt from the HM Customs and Excise web page: <BR>Restricted goods (that is, goods which you cannot import without authority such as a licence)(include)Meat and poultry, and most of their products including bacon, ham, sausages, pate, eggs, milk and cream. But you are allowed 1Kg of meat per person as long as it is fully cooked and in airtight containers <BR>(Tel: 020 7904 6000). <BR> <BR>So if it is fully cooked, it should be ok.

Pam, I hope that if you have ever watched 60 minutes, 20-20, or any of the other news magazine shows, you also do not allow your children to eat any fish, chicken, processed foods, fruits, or vegetables in the US. You must know that there are far more documented cases of people getting ill and even dieing from all those products in the US than there are of mad cow disease cases in humans. If you are that concerned about possible risk, then these foods must all definitely be off limits as well. Pray tell, what do your children eat? And by the way, I never called you an idiot and would never do so. I just drastically disagree with your position.

Pam, <BR> Your post has actually made me ill. <BR> I guess you haven't ever been anywhere outside of the U.S. People actually live in Europe. They eat there, they drink there. <BR> Just take your kid to McDonald's everyday in London. McDonald's is considered U.S. territory, sort of like the embassy. <BR> Turn off the t.v. and get outside more. It will do you a world of good.

Your kid will probably have a greater chance of getting sick on bacon that has been in your suitcase for 1/2 a day (unrefrigerated meat not a good thing) than the whoe mad cow disease thing. Think.

Alright people, let up a little. Pam has some real concerns, asked for advice, and while the majority disagree there's no need to pile on. Geez.

Touché folks. Sorry to hear about the concern re BSE...I have to say that I never thought of whether to eat European meat or not in my many trips over there. I think one of the posters hit it on the head...people do live in Europe and they have to eat and drink like the rest of the world...I must be honest now...I originally thought this post was about someone who just hated non-American bacon! As I'm no fan of European bacon so I thought "this post is over the top!" Anyhow, I hope Pam will read up more and go to Europe and relax a little more...and everyone else CALM down...it's just a post regarding a particular concern...no need to belittle anyone here! Best to you all!

I've got to hand it to Pam--she's the best troll in the business. I simply can't believe that anyone would be that dumb. I'm not being sarcastic either--she HAS to be a troll. There's no other explanation.

Moooove over, Pam. I am right here with ewe. I have picked all the red M & M's out of my packets, won't eat an egg unless it is yoke-free & cooked for a full 10 min until they bounce. My chickens must be free range from a state beginning with the letter "I". Sushi is a no-no, as is any fish that might have a trace of iodine. I also close the barn door on anything with salt, carmel coloring, asperstame, olestra, sorbitol, sugar, cocoa, sucrose, fat,fat substitute, or any food that is yellow or may stick to my cud. Apples must be washed in bottled water from the Mountains & dried with a warm breeze off the alps. I eat nothing that comes from an animal, or plant that may have had contact with an animal (rabbit, gopher, hedgehog). I have run out of fodder. Please write me at The Paranoid Institute, Sterile Way, P.O. Box DDT, Sheepsheads Bay, NY. P.S. Are you planning on having the waiter bring your food to the kitchen to be cooked? I hope he laughs so hard his spittle falls into your filtered water. Stay home until you can travel like an normal human being.

Pam <BR> <BR>Why are you even visiting Great Britain. I heard that there is evidence that these mad cow disease germs are "air borne" so you can breathe them in. Even the air isn't safe there! Don't risk it Pam!