Why does Canada Customs make such a big deal about bringing back plant and animal products?

To give you an example of how serious this can be, a single imported sausage brought foot-and-mouth disease into Canada, meaning that thousands of cattle had to be destroyed and costing Canadians more than one billion dollars. Animal and plant products may bring pests and diseases into Canada that threaten human health as well as our forests, crops, livestock, and our multi-billion dollar export business that Canada's economy depends on. It really is a big deal and it is in the best interests of all Canadians that we obey these laws.

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