Guidance

11 August 2025: Lumpy skin disease in Japan, France and Italy – changes to treatment requirements for susceptible animal by-products

Updated 12 August 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-veterinary-surgeon-ovs-notes/11-august-2025-lumpy-skin-disease-in-japan-france-and-italy-changes-to-treatment-requirements-for-susceptible-animal-by-products

OVS note number: 2025/57

Date: 11 August 2025

Purpose

To inform you of amendments to restrictions on imports from France, Italy and Japan of animal by-products (ABPs) of bovine origin due to lumpy skin disease (LSD). 

Background 

Japan notified WOAH of its first case of LSD which was confirmed on 6 November 2024 in cattle on a dairy farm in the Fukuoka Prefecture: WAHIS. Italy confirmed its first case of LSD on 21 June 2025 on a cattle farm in Sardinia: WAHIS. France confirmed its first case of LSD on 29 June 2025 on a cattle farm in Chambéry: WAHIS.

As a result of these outbreaks, safeguard declarations were published to restrict imports from Japan, Italy (OVS note 2025/47) and France (OVS note 2025/50) of the following bovine products:

  • hides and skins, unless treated in line with point 2b, c, or d of Article 11.9.13 of the WOAH terrestrial code
  • all other ABPs of bovine origin (except casings, gelatine, collagen, tallow, hooves and horns), unless processed using heat treatment to a minimum internal temperature of 65°C for at least 30 minutes.

Following a review of the risk associated with susceptible ABPs, the decision has been taken to amend the list of restricted ABPs from these countries due to LSD. A list of ABPs now permitted from Japan, Italy and France are provided in Annex I.

Updated safeguard declarations giving effect to this decision have been published today (11 August 2025), and apply from 12 August 2025:

Italy

France

Japan

Annex I

Imports from Japan, Italy and France of the following ABPs of bovine origin are permitted:

  • gelatine
  • photogelatine
  • collagen
  • hooves
  • horns
  • canned petfood
  • processed animal protein
  • hydrolysed protein
  • dicalcium phosphate
  • tricalcium phosphate
  • blood products for use as animal feed provided they have undergone any of processing methods numbered 1 to 5 as set out in Chapter III of Annex IV of Regulation 142/2011
  • blood products for use outside the feed chain provided they have undergone one of the processing methods set out in point 3.1(a) of Section 2, Chapter II of Annex XIV to Regulation 142/2011
  • rendered fats provided they have undergone any of the processing methods numbered 1 to 5 as set out in Chapter III of Annex IV of Regulation 142/2011
  • fat derivatives provided they have undergone either
  • processed petfood other than canned petfood provided it has undergone one of the treatments set out at points (i), (ii), (iii) or (v) of paragraph 3(b) of Chapter II of Annex XIII to Regulation 142/2011
  • dog chews made from hides and skins provided they have either:
    • undergone one of the treatments set out in points 2b, c or d of Article 11.9.13 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code
    • been heat treated to 90°C through their substance
    • been heat treated at 65°C for 30 minutes
  • dog chews made from animal by-products provided they have been heat treated to 90°C through their substance
  • hides and skins if they have been subjected to any of the following treatments, as per points 2b, c or d of Article 11.9.13 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code:
    • dry-salted or wet-salted for a period of at least 14 days prior to dispatch
    • salted for a period of at least 7 days in sea salt and 2% sodium carbonate
    • dried for a period of at least 42 days at a temperature of at least 20°C
  • game trophies that are made from or containing bovine hides or skins provided they have undergone one of the treatments set out in points 2b, c or d of Article 11.9.13 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code
  • game trophies or other preparations solely comprising bones, horns, hooves, claws, antlers or teeth provided both the following are true:
    • they have been immersed in boiling water for an appropriate time so as to ensure that any matter other than bone, horns, claws, antlers or teeth is removed
    • any part consisting of bone has subsequently been disinfected with hydrogen peroxide

  • milk, milk-based and milk-derived products provided they have either:

  • bones or bone products for use other than as feed material, organic fertilisers or soil improvers provided they are accompanied by a commercial document stamped by the Competent Authority of the exporting country supervising the establishment of origin certifying that the product has been subjected to one of treatments referred to in points (iii), (iv) and (v) of paragraph 2(d) in Section 7 of Chapter II in Annex XIV to Regulation 142/2011
  • animal by-products, other than those listed in paragraphs above, which have undergone heat treatment to a minimum internal temperature of 65°C for at least 30 minutes

These restrictions do not apply if the animal by-products are either:

  • intermediate products
  • research and diagnostic samples
  • trade samples

Contact point for enquiries

Email: imports@apha.gov.uk

Imports and EU Trade Team

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