“We’re having a big problem with canned meats being mailed at the moment,” said William Manning, USDA adviser to the European Command. He explained that the canned meats come mainly from Germany and threaten U.S. agriculture because they are often not cooked long enough to kill Foot and Mouth Disease germs. USDA therefore fines people who mail canned or dried meat, pâté, salamis or sausages to the States because the disease has been eradicated in the USA.
“European food is generally no different from U.S. produce but it can carry agricultural pests and diseases which we don’t have in the States,” Manning added. “These pests cost the American taxpayer $22 billion a year.” Examples of imported pests are the infamous Mediterranean fruit fly and citrus-canker which took 40 years and $13 million to eradicate when it hit the States. Some foods such as bread, cookies and cured cheeses are not banned from import. Candies, cakes, tea, dried or canned fruits, mushrooms and canned or processed vegetables are also good to go.