Fridge Food Check

[DDJC]

I know they are kinda focused on stamping passports and delaying Brits, but as yet, has anyone going to France had someone look through their fridge for meat or dairy yet?

I haven't heard it happening anywhere except on the Spanish/Gib border and by Dutch officials at the Hook of Holland port last year. I have also read that Brussels is quietly suggesting to member states with ferry routes to UK, that it is not necessary to confiscate foodstuffs from UK.

So, since we left the EU, has anyone had fridges rummaged and at which port? Has it happened to anyone this year, at all?

 

[Spriddler]

No interest at all at Newhaven or Dieppe 3 weeks ago.

 

[Lazyboy]

No interest at all at Newhaven or Dieppe 3 weeks ago.

Came over 6th June. No interest at all in fridge. Just gas check for tunnel. No marker board for scooter being carried on the rear rack. Had police behind me several times in Italy and not been stopped. No “Angle Mort” stickers and not been questioned in France although a French Motorhomer was mortified that I was not displaying them. Maybe just lucky, I don’t know But c’est la vie.

 

[Winger]

I think the problem is the Brits are too law abiding. Just do what you think is right in your mind and go for it.
My dad many years ago said that there was no point in making a law unless you knew somebody was going to break it

 

[Reallyretired]

My reading of the rules is that food for the consumption of 'crew and passengers' can be carried. As far as we are concerned swmbo and myself are crew and the dogs are passengers.
The much quoted ham sandwich was probably some over zealous official and shouldn't have been confiscated as obviously for consumption by the driver.

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[Pekepal]

Absolutely no interest shown in food in van either on our outward trip or return. Will pack normally when we cross again.

 

[MGDavid]

Have used Dover-Calais and back about a dozen times since Brexit (2018) and no interest in checking anything, except a thorough search usually at Calais for illegal immigrants.

 

[minesapint]

I know they are kinda focused on stamping passports and delaying Brits, but as yet, has anyone going to France had someone look through their fridge for meat or dairy yet?

I haven't heard it happening anywhere except on the Spanish/Gib border and by Dutch officials at the Hook of Holland port last year. I have also read that Brussels is quietly suggesting to member states with ferry routes to UK, that it is not necessary to confiscate foodstuffs from UK.

So, since we left the EU, has anyone had fridges rummaged and at which port? Has it happened to anyone this year, at all?

In and out of France and Spain no checks on fridge.

 

[NoName]

I know they are kinda focused on stamping passports and delaying Brits, but as yet, has anyone going to France had someone look through their fridge for meat or dairy yet?

I haven't heard it happening anywhere except on the Spanish/Gib border and by Dutch officials at the Hook of Holland port last year. I have also read that Brussels is quietly suggesting to member states with ferry routes to UK, that it is not necessary to confiscate foodstuffs from UK.

So, since we left the EU, has anyone had fridges rummaged and at which port? Has it happened to anyone this year, at all?

Why worry? Don’t carry any dairy products but buy them from the shops in France.

 

[CumbriaPaul]

Came over 6th June. No interest at all in fridge. Just gas check for tunnel. No marker board for scooter being carried on the rear rack. Had police behind me several times in Italy and not been stopped. No “Angle Mort” stickers and not been questioned in France although a French Motorhomer was mortified that I was not displaying them. Maybe just lucky, I don’t know But c’est la vie.

"mort ified", very good

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[bexleyjohn]

Since leaving the EU we have crossed over to France in both the car and the Motorhome on many occasions, not once has anyone shown any interest in the contents of our fridge or cool box.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Stowaways, that's mostly their concern on the return leg, they only checked our bathroom, garage to full to squeeze in a grass snake.

 

[DDJC]

Why worry? Don’t carry any dairy products but buy them from the shops in France.

I don't worry. I love shopping in France. I eat anything.
However, my boys are extraordinarily picky eaters. They eat the same things for every meal, 365 day as year. Try buying Yorkshire puds, battered chicken or streaky bacon in leclerk!
The happy world of autism!!

 

[chaser]

I don't worry. I love shopping in France. I eat anything.
However, my boys are extraordinarily picky eaters. They eat the same things for every meal, 365 day as year. Try buying Yorkshire puds, battered chicken or streaky bacon in leclerk!
The happy world of autism!!

Apart from the Yorkshire puds I think you will find the other stuff.

 

[Mike Rivers]

We might take a home cooked frozen Spag Bol or even a frozen takeaway curry but for the main our first stop in France is usually an Auchan, E Leclerc, Super U, Intermarche or Carrefour depending where we land. They’re all great and some of the bigger ones have excellent cafes behind the checkouts. It’s all part of the experience.

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[DDJC]

Apart from the Yorkshire puds I think you will find the other stuff.

Found bacon occasionally. Battered chicken? Not a chance. Just breaded nuggets. And eldest has sausages every breakfast. French sausages are so salted to make them nigh inedible.

We might take a home cooked frozen Spag Bol or even a frozen takeaway curry but for the main our first stop in France is usually an Auchan, E Leclerc, Super U, Intermarche or Carrefour depending where we land. They’re all great and some of the bigger ones have excellent cafes behind the checkouts. It’s all part of the experience.

Oh yeah, French & Italian hyper/supermarkets put ours to shame. The best (and biggest) is the IperTosano in Jesolo, Veneto. I can spend a day there walking round the deli counters.

 

[Billiefarrah]

I know they are kinda focused on stamping passports and delaying Brits, but as yet, has anyone going to France had someone look through their fridge for meat or dairy yet?

I haven't heard it happening anywhere except on the Spanish/Gib border and by Dutch officials at the Hook of Holland port last year. I have also read that Brussels is quietly suggesting to member states with ferry routes to UK, that it is not necessary to confiscate foodstuffs from UK.

So, since we left the EU, has anyone had fridges rummaged and at which port? Has it happened to anyone this year, at all?

Have over many times since brexit France and Spain . Never been stopped

 

[Mad dog]

Never ever had fridge checked in 20 years, travelled to the Hook 7 weeks ago & through Calais 2 days ago - all fine.

 

[MrTVR]

No interest in the contents of our fridge but we we searched for stow aways on our outward journey from the UK to France!

 

[125BEER]

They do have supermarkets in the EU....

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[DDJC]

They do have supermarkets in the EU....

Yes I know. Read the whole thread and I explain.

 

[DBK]

The only thing we smuggled was dog food. I know you can buy dog food in France but you can't get the grain-free brand our pooch is used to.

 

[Three Stars]

Since the UK is now a third country with regard to the EU, formalities at Customs posts have increased wherever you transfer between non-Schengen countries such as the UK and Croatia, and those in Schengen. We travelled between Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia earlier this year and it took 20 minutes at the Customs office to enter Croatia. The French Customs officers are simply doing their job and, for those of us who will be pushing the boundaries of the 90 days it's important to make sure that our passports are stamped.

 

[Fragle]

They do have supermarkets in the EU....

Amazing.
Shame that they don’t have our prices as well

 

[Verteuil Man]

Apart from the Yorkshire puds I think you will find the other stuff.

If you get some flour, eggs and milk and away you go.

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[Spriddler]

If you get some flour, eggs and milk and away you go.

Or grow your own whilst you're over there.

 

[DDJC]

Since the UK is now a third country with regard to the EU, formalities at Customs posts have increased wherever you transfer between non-Schengen countries such as the UK and Croatia, and those in Schengen. We travelled between Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia earlier this year and it took 20 minutes at the Customs office to enter Croatia. The French Customs officers are simply doing their job and, for those of us who will be pushing the boundaries of the 90 days it's important to make sure that our passports are stamped.

This thread isn't about whether it is legal, proportionate, petty, sensible, or whether French Officials are simply doing their job. This is about whether they are applying the rules, by checking funsters fridges.

I have been going through the European commentary on the subject and it does seem to be that the some in the EU feels that the rules (which are intended to apply to freight, not a driver's ham sandwich), are a bit OTT. It seems that as long as UKs food standards do not deteriorate from those of the EU, they will allow member states to not apply the rules to UK travellers. Since UKs food standards are higher than that the EU, this does not seem likely.

The proof of the (yorkshire) pudding is that no one is getting checked at any French ports. The rules state very clearly that all third country vehicles should be checked for meat and dairy.

EU surrenders and prepares to tear up own Brexit trade rules

BRUSSELS is prepared to cave over its petty ham sandwich blockade on British travellers.

www.express.co.uk

 

[DBK]

Amazing.
Shame that they don’t have our prices as well

We've found a shop in a French supermarket costs about the same as it would in the UK. Some things are cheaper, some things more expensive.

 

[Rapido925M]

This thread isn't about whether it is legal, proportionate, petty, sensible, or whether French Officials are simply doing their job. This is about whether they are applying the rules, by checking funsters fridges.

I have been going through the European commentary on the subject and it does seem to be that the some in the EU feels that the rules (which are intended to apply to freight, not a driver's ham sandwich), are a bit OTT. It seems that as long as UKs food standards do not deteriorate from those of the EU, they will allow member states to not apply the rules to UK travellers. Since UKs food standards are higher than that the EU, this does not seem likely.

The proof of the (yorkshire) pudding is that no one is getting checked at any French ports. The rules state very clearly that all third country vehicles should be checked for meat and dairy.

EU surrenders and prepares to tear up own Brexit trade rules

BRUSSELS is prepared to cave over its petty ham sandwich blockade on British travellers.

www.express.co.uk

But the freedom we chose allows us to deviate from high standards.

Will we insist on higher standards, thus making things more expensive?
Or might we accept lower standards in order to get trade deals with other countries?
Check the deal with Australia to obtain an answer!

Funny that The Express says lots of European Countries weren’t ready for the extra red tape: no mention of UK changing our implementation date four times and eventually deciding to leave it until late 2023. But once we take real control of our borders we can have travel chaos on both sides of the Channel

Gordon

 

[MIKEANDSUE]

Why worry? Don’t carry any dairy products but buy them from the shops in France.

Not easy to find vegan cheese in Calais. But then Vegan cheese is not dairy

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