Importing "prepper" food & import duty?

[peejay]

I'm still trying to decide how best I want to better prep for meat/protein longer-term and have been pondering getting a pressure canner but the procrastinator in me that saw a reasonable deal from Target including shipping to UK no longer seems to be available (we discussed it here a while back). so I'm back to paying full price plus the import costs which soon mount up.

However I've come across a source of canned (in actual cans) meat in the US that effectively seems like the same thing in that all they put in it is meat & salt so as simple as you get (i.e. spruce it up however takes your fancy) but I'm wondering what sort of import duty/vat you'd be hit with, given that food is VAT-free in the UK.

Any thoughts?

I'm still scratching my head over the "value" of the meat as, at first glance it appeared reasonably priced (given the convenience factor but more importantly the claimed shelf life of easily 25yrs - apparently) but then when I re-analysed it (howdy Mr Procrastinator!) I realised it was, I think, much more expensive than at first glance! My comparison tool of choice is Tesco Chicken in white sauce - less shelf life (claimed that is) plus to be fair probably less meat than what I'm comparing too, but I /think/ the prepper option is coming in at 4x the price?

This is what I've been looking at, and the reviews seem pretty decent: https://www.survivalfrog.com/collection ... anned-meat

By the time I invest in kit, jars, fuel (gas) & time to do my own equivalent, the costs start to merge, however I can at least re-use whatever jars I initially buy.

BTW I have no room for even a single chest-freezer, plus it'd be no good in a long-term power outage anyway.

Thoughts?

[xplosiv1]

personally I'd go for freeze dried food for convenient long term food storage.

from the looks of the web page below, to me it reads importing meat or meat products from outside the EU for personal use is banned.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/personal-fo ... strictions

We all know US products can be bought within the UK in some shops so there must be a way of getting it in, probably a mountain of paperwork.

If I was you I'd contact border-force or customs for a definitive answer, as there are penalties if its rejected.

[peejay]

I've considered freeze-dried and will likely get some at least, my main thought is that eating it would be entirely dependent on having enough water to re-hydrate it. Apparently the "Fuel Your Preparation" brand is produced by the same crowd that produce Mountain House so I'm sure the (relative) quality is likely to be there, but I'm very aware of ensuring some element of variety, i.e. a 6 month supply of freeze-dried would likely get pretty bland, there's a good chance the canned variety would too, but at least a mix of the two would help somewhat.

Good shout on the import scenario though, seems to me it's a no-brainer to steer clear unfortunately, unless as you say someone in the UK already imports it but I suspect it unlikely.

Thanks for the link (I did search but only on food & vat, not the basic ability to import at all)

[Deeps]

Protein can come from more than meat, beans etc are good and very very cheap, keeping chickens might be another option, even if just for the eggs. Fish is really good for protein AND other good stuff. Of course, you can pickle stuff too to preserve it for long term. It will depend on space or weight if you think you might have to transport it. Have a look at veggie meals for inspiration on protein.

[xplosiv1]

I've bought some of the "fuel your preparation " stuff, it's good.

Rather than buying direct I bought from the link below they package up 12 different meals in the 3/6/12 month packs. As an emergency ration source I dont think i'd be too bothered about variety when putting food in my belly is no.1 priority. I could also supplement it with stuff from the garden.

I've mainly just been using it for hiking trips, nice and light, easy and quick to prepare.

http://www.emergencyfoodstorage.co.uk/c ... ried-Food/

[xplosiv1]

.

[peejay]

Yup, I have that site bookmarked already (think I have a couple others saved too).

I tend to agree on the thoughts that, if I'm eating it, it's cos I'm in dire straits for one reason or another so would be grateful regardless, better than nothing at all.

We're not great veggies here - we know it if we haven't had any meat for a few days, but to be fair we're the same if we haven't had veg for a few too (like on a couple of trips to florida in the past - staying on Disney resorts you crave "real" food in a very short time!

I am however stocking up on beans etc. as part of a balanced diet.

I've been way too small-scale so far & really need to step-up...

Sod it, I have the main meal and breakfast/desert sample packs in the basket & I'm gonna do it...

[Deeps]

Not trying to push the veggie option but a large chunk of the worlds population live on a largely veggie diet because they have to. It will keep you alive although I've said often enough in the past that I could be a veggie any day of the week, just not every day.

[peejay]

Not trying to push the veggie option but a large chunk of the worlds population live on a largely veggie diet because they have to. It will keep you alive although I've said often enough in the past that I could be a veggie any day of the week, just not every day.

Oh I do understand, and as you say, given a situation where it's all you have then I certainly won't be refusing it, I'm just talking in terms of being able to prepare now, in advance, & trying to stock up on the best balance of convenience/eatability (new word there! ).

I still haven't reached quite a months worth of "decent" food (partly the battle with the family trying to get the buggers to rotate!) but also partly indecision.

Well, indecision could be my undoing one day so I'm wanting to take a reasonably significant step, whilst I can afford it, to at least cover some basics for a more extended period...

[Deeps]

Oh I do understand, and as you say, given a situation where it's all you have then I certainly won't be refusing it, I'm just talking in terms of being able to prepare now, in advance, & trying to stock up on the best balance of convenience/eatability (new word there! ).

I still haven't reached quite a months worth of "decent" food (partly the battle with the family trying to get the buggers to rotate!) but also partly indecision.

Well, indecision could be my undoing one day so I'm wanting to take a reasonably significant step, whilst I can afford it, to at least cover some basics for a more extended period...

I've got cheap 'meat stuff' stored, the chicken in white sauce/chilli/meatballs/spam/bacon grill etc, even beans and sausages. Stuff that I eat occasionally and enjoy but wouldn't want to eat all the time. Plenty stuff in the freezer but as you've said, that's vulnerable to power cuts. I've also got dehydrated steak (I can't in all fairness call it jerky, its V dry). If push comes to shove, I'll be compromising all sorts of different things, if a change of diet is part of it then it might actually do me some good, apart from the 30 odd Fray Bentos. I keep meaning to do one in my dutch oven, you know, for research purposes.