The Government is clamping down on people bringing pork into Britain to protect the country’s pig industry from African swine fever.

The meat industry welcomed the move, which as of yesterday will prevent people bringing more than 2kg (4.4lb) of pork or pork products from Europe that have not been produced to EU commercial standards.

The British Meat Processors Association said it will address the “worrying increase” in small vanloads of meat coming from areas with African swine fever without border checks.

Officials said African swine fever poses no risk to human health but is a highly contagious disease for pigs and wild boar.

It has been spreading in mainland Europe in recent months, leading to the deaths of thousands of pigs and causing disruption to the meat trade, and could have a “damaging impact” on the British industry, the Government said.

The new controls strengthen the requirements for bringing pork and pork products into Great Britain from the EU and European Free Trade Association states, making it illegal to import such products weighing more than 2kg unless they are produced to EU commercial standards.

It does not apply to commercial imports and comes after a new risk assessment found the most likely way African swine fever could be introduced to Britain is by a member of the public bringing pork back from an affected country.

It aims to limit possibly infected pig meat being brought into the country in passengers’ luggage or vehicles.

Biosecurity minister Lord Richard Benyon said: “An outbreak of African swine fever is one of the biggest threats our pig industry faces today.

“We are not complacent and this decisive and proportionate action will stop the entry of pork products that pose the greatest risk.

“It is essential we maintain the highest levels of biosecurity and all visitors to the UK will need to abide by these new regulations.”

The UK’s deputy chief veterinary officer Richard Irvine said: “If African swine fever ever reached the UK it would have a severe and damaging impact on our pigs and pig industry.

“A single outbreak of this highly infectious disease would also harm relations with our trading partners and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our pig farmers.

“We are taking this action to limit the risk of disease spreading by banning people bringing in high-risk pork and pork products that could carry this virus until further notice.”

People are also being warned that they must not bring back any pork or pork products from non-EU countries to the UK.

Nick Allen, chief executive of The British Meat Processors Association, said: “Our concern had been mounting over the worrying increase in small vanloads of meat entering the UK from areas with African swine fever but with no border checks.

“So we’re extremely relieved that these new measures are to be brought in with immediate effect.”

Mr Allen said the Government listened carefully to industry concerns and acted quickly to tackle the threat.