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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to take banned food into EU?

216 replies

Hatehairdressers · 03/04/2023 18:17

We’re flying into Europe on Thursday staying in an AirBnB in an area where shops are going to be very shut for Easter (at least until Saturday).

My plan was to pack a bit of food to see us through a couple of meals - I’ve packed a picnic bag in our hold luggage full of long life stuff like pasta, tuna, and sweetcorn; brioche rolls and hot dogs. Chocolate bars, tea bags and some UHT milk. Applauded myself on my forward planning.

Then I realised we’re not in the EU any more and half this stuff is banned.

AIBU to take it anyway?

OP posts:
suzettenoisette · 04/04/2023 13:45

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 13:34

absolutey invested in finiding out where this shopping desert is though. Even in Germany where music is actually banned on Good Friday (and 1st November) (i mean you can play it at home or on headphones, but if you're too loud you can bet your bottom dollar someone will complain. I have seen this happen. More than once.) you can get something to eat on Thursday. Supermarkets are generally open until 8pm if not 10 pm. (Friday though? EVERYTHING is verboten and closed)

Possible that they arrive Thursday night and won't make it to the shops before they close. On Friday everything is closed and many restaurants will be booked out by now.

They could get take-away or buy food at small shops, but it's quite expensive and they seem to be on a tight budget.

So I can sort of see the issue. I would just bring some foods that are safe to travel with such as chocolate, pasta etc.

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 14:04

Are you telling me the situation in Germany? or where they will be? (since we don't know where that is unless i missed it)

Failing all else, why not contact the AirBnB host and ask if they can get some provisions?

jannier · 04/04/2023 14:06

Ask the host if they could get a few basics in explaining the problem and offer to pay

GoodChat · 04/04/2023 14:09

jannier · 04/04/2023 14:06

Ask the host if they could get a few basics in explaining the problem and offer to pay

I suggested this too but apparently we're ignoring anything sensible and arguing about nonsense Grin

Marchintospring · 04/04/2023 14:14

UpTheAnte · 03/04/2023 18:28

All dairy, meat and plant products are banned since we left the EU.

Yay for Brexit(!)

Show quote history

Thats not true.

You can bring stuff in and out as long as it’s clearly not for being sold on.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 04/04/2023 14:17

puttingontheritz · 03/04/2023 19:00

It won't be France, it can't be, the only time supermarkets all close for a bank holiday is 1st May.

Show quote history

This is untrue. Ascension Day , Christmas Day, Easter Sunday in France, everything is shut, even garages ( though still take card sales.). Many supermarkets and other shops still don’t open on a normal Sunday, either.

GMOOH2023 · 04/04/2023 14:31

bigbluebus · 04/04/2023 13:12

We've just had a visitor from a European country. They bought cheese with them in their hand luggage. Obviously wasn't confiscated as we've eaten it. I had no idea he wasn't allowed to bring it into the country.

Are you in the UK? Why would it be confiscated?

This thread is about taking food from the UK to mainland Europe.

RosaBonheur · 04/04/2023 14:40

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 04/04/2023 14:17

This is untrue. Ascension Day , Christmas Day, Easter Sunday in France, everything is shut, even garages ( though still take card sales.). Many supermarkets and other shops still don’t open on a normal Sunday, either.

Show quote history

Good Friday isn't even a public holiday in France, so if it is France it will be fine.

Re the rules, glad to see @Natsku has already found the chapter and verse proving that chocolate is allowed.

I live in France and we've taken contraband stuff over the border many times. Chocolate and biscuits and tea bags and all that stuff is all absolutely fine. We hide the bacon under the biscuits.

RosaBonheur · 04/04/2023 14:41

(Only works if you travel by Eurotunnel/ferry though. If you try to take bacon on the Eurostar or on a plane it will definitely be confiscated.)

Hobert · 04/04/2023 14:42

Sorry to jump on the thread! I am going to Portugal on Thursday - anyone know if shops and restaurants are likely to be open on the Friday? I have googled some specific shops in the area but they just list their standard hours as far as I can see.

Zonder · 04/04/2023 14:45

There will be corner shops open for things to carry you over.

If you told us which country there will probably be someone with specific knowledge and experience.

Mycatisalwaysangry · 04/04/2023 14:45

Haha, I bring back loads from my home country. Won’t stop doing so and have never been stopped at the airport.

RosaBonheur · 04/04/2023 14:47

You can bring what you want from the EU into the UK. It's from the UK to the EU that is tricky.

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 14:47

There will be corner shops open for things to carry you over.

not if they arrive after about 8pm on Thursday where i live.

SoManyComplications · 04/04/2023 14:59

You should be ok with some chocolate:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/2122/oj
The following products are exempted from the rules set out in points 1 to 6:
—
bread, cakes, biscuits, waffles and wafers, rusks, toasted bread and similar toasted products containing less than 20 % of processed dairy and egg products and treated as provided for in point (a)(i) of Article 6(1) of Commission Decision 2007/275/EC (1),
—
chocolate and confectionery (including sweets) containing less than 50 % of processed dairy and egg products and treated as provided for in point (a)(i) of Article 6(1) of Decision 2007/275/EC,
—
food supplements packaged for the final consumer containing small amounts (in total less than 20 %) of processed animal products (including glucosamine, chondroitin or chitosan, or both chondroitin and chitosan) other than meat products,
—
olives stuffed with fish,
—
pasta and noodles not mixed or filled with meat product containing less than 50 % of processed dairy and egg products and treated as provided for in point (a)(i) of Article 6(1) of Decision 2007/275/EC,
—
soup stocks and flavourings packaged for the final consumer containing less than 50 % of fish oils, fish powders or fish extracts and treated as provided for in point (a)(i) of Article 6(1) of Decision 2007/275/EC

EUR-Lex - 32019R2122 - EN - EUR-Lex

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/2122/oj

GibbsGibbsGibbs · 04/04/2023 15:01

Apparently both Thursday and Friday are public holidays in Denmark - which would also fit the comment that eating out is expensive.

MoongazyHare · 04/04/2023 15:06

Can you order a click and collect shop to pick up close to the airport? Or even a home delivery to get to the Air B&B soon after you arrive?

bigbluebus · 04/04/2023 15:10

@GMOOH2023 because I looked on the .Gov page and it said you couldn't bring these things into the UK either.

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 15:17

Can you order a click and collect shop to pick up close to the airport?

aw love ya, don't ever go on holiday to non-big-city Germany.

GMOOH2023 · 04/04/2023 15:33

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 14:47

There will be corner shops open for things to carry you over.

not if they arrive after about 8pm on Thursday where i live.

There aren't even "corner shops" where I live (France)

Supermarket or nothing - and that's 8 miles away.

But Friday isn't a bank holiday here, only Monday.

MoongazyHare · 04/04/2023 15:34

Brefugee · 04/04/2023 15:17

Can you order a click and collect shop to pick up close to the airport?

aw love ya, don't ever go on holiday to non-big-city Germany.

Oh, I do, usually in the car, so we pick up a shop on the way - but none of us know where the OP is going yet, so it’s not a naive question!

Plus I was imagining what I would put into my Carrefour or Edeka or REWE delivery basket…

HavfrueDenizKisi · 04/04/2023 15:42

jenjenlinks · 04/04/2023 09:52

It's not just dairy as in cheese and milk, its any foods containing dairy, at all. So milk chocolate is not allowed, easter eggs are not allowed. Highly unlikely to be a problem in practice but it is on the banned list.

You are wrong.

AspiringMermaid · 04/04/2023 15:44

Well this is all news to me 😅done 6 trips to EU last year and so far this year, always take snacks with me for plane journeys in my hand luggage, chocolate, muffins, cookies

ghostyslovesheets · 04/04/2023 15:56

derbylass81 · 04/04/2023 13:25

We are eurocamping this summer and this was our plan as well, because the supermarkets over there are expensive.

So we are ok to have these things in our home luggage? I was planning on taking pasta, pesto, sweetcorn, tomato sauce, tea, coffee, kids snacks....will that be ok?

Show quote history

I would say so - it's fresh stuff they don't like you bringing - bread, cheese, milk and veg, and meat - tinned stuff and snack is fine

ItsRainingPens · 04/04/2023 16:07

SmartHome · 04/04/2023 10:11

Did we ever find out where OP is going? Just take them out for a pizza Thursday night! Friday buy some rolls and cheese or whatever from a service station for lunch. Take a pack of breakfast cereal. What a drama about nothing.

We've driven to France every year since Brexit shitshow and I always take a pack of breakfast cereal, a multipack of coke zero, sandwiches and apples for the journey etc and nobody has ever said anything or cared,even the French border people who peer in the car and have seen it. I fly all over the place and alway have cereal bars in my rucksack, some have chocolate chips in! Nobody has ever confiscated them and they are clearly on show in the outside net pocket.

According to my research, it has to be Denmark, the only EU country where Thursday is a public holiday