McCornick’s appeal over foreign meat

Farm leaders have urged members of the public to ditch foreign meat and buy Scottish produce instead.

The plea from NFU Scotland comes amid claims some of Brazil’s biggest meat processors have been exporting rotten beef and poultry for years.

NFUS president Andrew McCornick said the Brazilian meat scandal demonstrated why countries with lower production standards should not be given unfettered access to the UK market in future trade deals.

“The fact that the world’s largest red meat exporter is home to this scandal is a reminder that the best way for consumers to ensure they are buying fresh, quality, and tasty food is to buy food from Scotland which is clearly labelled as Scottish,” Mr McCornick added.

“Our farmers work hard to meet high quality production standards, and our supply chains are fully traceable.

“It is important that food is not being imported into our market that is not produced at standards that are equivalent to, or better than, our own.”

Mr McCornick said farmers and crofters needed reassurances from the UK Government that it would not negotiate trade deals which trade away the sector’s high standards of production and welfare.

He added: “Equally, we need Brexit to drive the success of our high-quality food.

“Currently, two-thirds of Scottish red meat turnover comes from sales in the rest of the UK because of the high assurance standards associated with Scottish production.”

NFUS president Andrew McCornick said the Brazilian meat scandal is “a reminder that the best way for consumers to ensure they are buying fresh, quality, and tasty food is to buy food from Scotland which is clearly labelled as Scottish”.