African swine fever occurs in the EU in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy, Germany, Czech Republik, Greece, and Croatia.
Food containing meat brought as a gift or to eat on the journey
In the EU countries with African swine fever, there are restriction areas, and pork or wild boar meat or products containing these meats may be imported from these areas into Finland only to very limited extent. For private persons it is allowed to import only such pork or wild boar meat containing products which are marked with the oval identification mark of EU on the package. The products may be brought for own consumption only. However, the sales of meat products without the EU mark within the country may be allowed. It may also be allowed to sale meat products with a national identification mark which differs from the oval EU mark. These products are to be sold and used within the country.
Travelers are recommended not to bring any meat products containing pork or wild boar meat into Finland as a personal gift or as food to eat on the journey from the countries with African swine fever. The epidemic situation of the disease and the restriction zones may change rapidly.
Can foodstuffs be sent through the post from another EU country?
The same rules apply to sending foodstuffs by post within the EU as apply to the trading and transport of foodstuffs otherwise. The above restrictions and recommendations applying to foodstuffs brought personally into the country also apply to foodstuffs intended for the recipient’s personal use that are sent by post and/or ordered online.
If you have been in contact with pigs or wild boars or have visited a farm
If you have visited a farm or domestic animal park in an EU country or if you have come into contact with wild boars anywhere or if you have gone off-road in an area where African swine fever is present, do not visit a farm or domestic animal park in Finland or hunt or feed wild boars in Finland until at least 48 hours have elapsed since your return to Finland. Since the ASF virus is easily transmitted by people and goods, you should wash and clean clothes, footwear and equipment worn or used abroad when visiting a farm, for example. Besides cleaning, it is a good idea to keep equipment in a sauna or drying cabinet for a few hours at a minimum of 60°C to eradicate any viruses. Remember to take fire safety into account when doing so. Do the same if you have been in an area where other easily transmissible diseases occur.
If you have farm animals or you work on a farm, the Finnish Food Authority advises you to comply with the instructions relating to trips abroad issued by the Association for Animal Health (ETT ry).
For more about the subject:
Disease prevention in pig farms (ETT)
If you hunt in other EU countries
The Finnish Food Authority advises against wild boar hunting trips in areas where African swine fever occurs. African swine fever or some other easily transmissible animal disease may spread to Finland as a result of dirty equipment. The risk of animal diseases spreading applies also to the hunting of other animals than wild boar. The Finnish Food Authority recommends anyone who has been on a hunting trip abroad to thoroughly clean hunting clothes, equipment, and dogs before returning to Finland.
Imports of quarry into Finland from another EU country
Travelers may not bring to Finland self-hunted wild boar or its fresh meat from the restricted zones for African swine fever (restricted zones I, II and III). Estonia, for example, is currently entirely restricted zone II or I, and it is not permitted to import hunted wild boar into Finland. The Finnish Food Authority recommends that hunters completely avoid importing wild boar catches to Finland from countries where African swine fever occurs in some part, as the disease situation and restricted zones can change very quickly.
Imports of hunting trophies and souvenirs into Finland from another EU country
Travelers may bring with them into Finland hunting trophies from ungulates or birds that have undergone complete taxidermy treatment to ensure their preservation at ambient temperatures and also hunting trophies from species other than ungulates and birds. Hunters and other travelers may also bring with them the hides and skins of ungulates that have undergone the complete process of tanning.