Meat and dairy into Europe

[Thingsthatgo]

So... DD is travelling to Iceland with the school, and they need to take a breakfast and lunch with them, as well as some snacks.
Am I correct that they cannot take dairy or meat products into the country?
Any ideas for vegan packed lunch for a fussy eater?

Hummus and baba ganoush with breadsticks
Rice/pasta/couscous with vegetables, herbs, spices
Grated carrot / pickled beetroot / cucumber ribbon / grilled peppers with seeds, marinade
Nut ‘butter’ sandwich

nuts might be a bad idea if allergies etc.

You also cannot take fresh fruit or vegetables in I'm afraid

Thanks - yeah, my first thought was a nut butter, but probably not on a plane.

Maybe a dairy free spread and vegan cheese?

Did the school not advise on prohibited products into Iceland?

I'd just do protein bars, bread, rolls, butter crisps chocolate. To heck with it, it's a school trip and there are food import restrictions! Make it as easy as possible and obviously use stuff that is not perishable.

Oh, scrap the butter for the vegan. I'm sure there's something else to put on the bread.

The issue is not that the child is vegan but that you cannot take in meat or dairy. So vegan foods work.

Not true according to their official website:

https://www.mast.is/en/travel

OP is it likely she'll have eaten at least the breakfast before she enters the country? So that can be a cheese or meat sandwich.

Then the lunch will need to be something that will survive the journey and fit within her fussiness, the vegan part is easy but pasta salad would work? If you follow the links, fish is allowed so she could take one of those premade ambient tuna salads and a bit of cooked pasta.

But the other consideration will be when and how will she eat if she needs access to cutlery. If hand luggage only she won't be able to take a metal fork for example. But unless one of the party has a nut allergy she won't be eating on the plane so a peanut butter sandwich will be fine.

The following is not legal advice, but here goes anyway:

The chances that your DD will be checked at customs are smaller than homeopathic. The rules are there to stop people bringing in (typically raw) meat and other potential health hazards from outside the European Economic Area (i.e., the wider EU), so if the school party were from Greece or Norway or Spain they could bring in as much as they wanted. All changed was Brexit, and nobody in Iceland thinks that sliced ham or cheese in supermarket packaging from the UK is suddenly going to give people bird flu or rabies whereas it was fine until 2021. Unfortunately that clip of the Dutch customs guy taking a cheese sandwich off someone and saying "Welcome to the Brexit, sir" went viral (I sometimes wonder if it was staged by the TV crew).

Also, the absolute worst thing that can happen if they get stopped is that they will lose the stuff. "Sorry, my Mum didn't know, she thought the UK was still part of the EEA after Brexit". Smile from the customs officer, who will look forward to some tasty cheese with their supper. Nobody is going to get fined or deported for personal use quantities of contraband processed animal protein.

Again, that is not legal advice, and don't sue me, but honestly there is nothing to worry about if DD has a couple of Peperamis or a small lump of cheddar at the bottom of her bag. 🙏

I would point out to the school that this is challenging due to the rules and could they not buy food en route or can you give her money

Yes, I did wonder about the chances of being caught. I don't remember any signs or sniffer dogs, which is probably the most cost effective method of detecting contraband, when we went there just over a year ago.

I wasn't caught when I brought half a pizza with parma ham on it back with me from Malta when UK was in the EU and they weren't. I didn't know it was illegal and I was going to eat it at the airport but didn't in the end, but it was some of the nicest pizza I'd ever had so didn't want to throw it away.

I suppose the school doesn't want to supervise a large group through the shops and food outlets at the airport when half want Boots meal deals and the rest want Burger King and then round them all ip again afterwards so they get to the gate on time.

Am I right in thinking that the breakfast and lunch will be for the journey and therefore would have already been consumed by the time they land?

Where will they be eating this food? If at the airport or on the plane they can eat meat, it needs to be all eaten before landing.

This sounds a bit daft. Surely they can buy food en route. Breakfast at the airport and then lunch actually in Iceland? I mean, what sort of state will packed food be by the time they arrive anyway.

Fish seems to be ok, so that gives you the option of tuna or salmon sandwiches.

They can take anything on the plane as long as they've eaten it before they land in Iceland.

Spanish tortilla (eggs, potato and whatever vegetables your child likes)

Oh sorry, you said vegan! Well just make what they usually eat!!