Illegally imported meat and animal products, which have not gone through checks to confirm they are disease-free and conform to UK health standards, pose a significant and growing threat for introducing new animal diseases, such as African swine fever. Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) seized 22 tonnes of illegal meat in January 2025 compared with 0.4 tonnes in January 2023, a fifty-five-fold increase.36 The Department told us that it was not sure whether this is due to an increase in actual imports, or better surveillance and enforcement activities, but it was concerned by the increase.37