It is a fact of life that many brands of UK foods are hard to purchase in the USA. Although there are many wonderful food brands in the USA, there are some popular products you would find in a British food shop that ex-patriots find they cannot buy in their new country of residence. Sometimes, a familiar flavour is more than just a food craving, and can bring back memories of the friends and family a person has left behind.
It is no surprise to learn that many people resort to importing there own food from there native countries, to obtain the flavour of familiar foods that they have come to know and love.
Bovril is one such food that can be hard to find in the USA. After the BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy / Mad Cow Disease) outbreak, Bovril was banned in many countries due to it’s beef content. The recipe for Bovril was changed in 2004 to make it into a vegetarian product; this did not prove so popular with many Bovril lovers, whom complained that it tasted different, and the original recipe returned in 2006 after the European Commission lifted its ban on the export of Britain’s beef products.
It has been rumoured that Bovril is no longer allowed to be imported into the USA and other countries due to it’s beef content. This is quite simply not true. Provided the correct paperwork is completed by the exporter there is no risk of the item being stopped and seized by customs as a restricted product, and Bovril is perfectly legal to import from a British food shop.