Devastating bacon shortage looms in wake of Denmark travel ban

Britain could be facing a bacon shortage should a blanket travel ban from Denmark continue. As ministers imposed travel restrictions over the weekend, industry sources say British farmers are in a scramble to fill the bacon gap.

The UK government had earlier imposed a travel ban on Denmark after a mutated strain of the coronavirus was found to have caused widespread infections through the country's mink farms. This raised the alarm of a bacon shortage due to hauliers being blocked at the border.

Denmark is the UK's largest source of imported pork and Danish bacon fills the shelves of UK supermarkets all year round.

With 25 percent of pork products being sold in the UK coming from Denmark, an extended travel ban could have many breakfast plates lacking a major staple on the table.

Denis Lynn from Finnebrogue Artisan, makers of Britain's biggest bacon brand, said they are prepared for the surge in demand.

"Our nitrite-free Naked Bacon is made using pork from the British Isles. Our sales are up 70 per cent this year and we have kept the supermarket shelves stocked throughout the pandemic. We are prepared to meet additional demand if our competitors' pork supply from Denmark is disrupted."

Meanwhile, Rod McKenzie, managing director of policy at the Road Haulage Association warned that if the restrictions are to be extended for a "long time" there could be "a potential disruption to bacon supplies in the UK."

As the pork industry continues to assess the situation, they said pork products from Denmark could still cross into the UK via ferries and transported by unaccompanied trailers. Freight trade body, Logistics UK, assured that the industry was agile and allows for importers to switch between transport modes, The Sun wrote.

"Much of the ferry transport between the UK and Denmark is sent in unaccompanied trailers, so drivers simply collect their loads from ports, with no need to travel across the border."

"The industry will continue to maintain high levels of vigilance and follow all necessary health protocols to protect the UK," they assured.

A statement made by the prime minister's spokesperson said: "There are no fur farms in the UK so we're not at risk in that regard. There's no evidence to suggest that this new strain is currently in the UK."