Finland sets out boar embargo

The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira is asking that no wild boar meat or food products made from boar should be brought into Finland from the Baltic countries or Poland.

The aim of the move was to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) into Finland, it said.

ASF is a highly contagious virus that does not infect humans, but it could endanger Finnish pork production. It has already spread into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Smoked or air-dried meat

The virus survives well in meat products, Evira said, and can be found in smoked or air-dried meat.

Evira also recommended avoiding hunting trips in affected areas, and hunters who have already made hunting trips should clean and disinfect all their equipment thoroughly.