Have our smokies lost their protections?

Sir, – The Courier has done good work recently, highlighting the Scottish food industry, and the high quality of Scottish food and produce.

One example is the Arbroath smokie, which has “protected geographical” status, meaning it can only be called an Arbroath smokie if it has been produced in the Arbroath area. But I recently learnt from my friend, who is very knowledgeable about trade deals and these “protected geographical indications”, that, in the EU trade deal with Canada which has already been signed by the UK Government and is just awaiting final ratification by the EU, smokies are not mentioned in the documentation. If they are not mentioned, they are, apparently, not covered.

There are plenty of Czech beers, German sausages, Spanish hams and French cheeses, but no Scottish, or indeed UK, produce at all. So it would seem that smokies, and Stornoway black pudding, and Stilton cheese are not protected, thus smoked fish from Norway, or Belgium, or wherever, could be labelled “Arbroath Smokies”, without sanction.

What is really worrying, however, is that the people who were in charge of negotiating this deal, on behalf of the UK, will probably be the same people who will, very shortly, be negotiating post-Brexit deals with the USA, China, and the rest of the world.

The potential for calamity is manifest.

But I find it astonishing, and inexplicable, and, frankly, hard to believe, that these Scottish foods could have been missed, whether accidentally or deliberately, when drafting this deal, or indeed any other deal which may apply in the future.

I wonder if there is anybody out there who could reassure me/us, categorically, that my friend’s information is incorrect?

Les Mackay. 5 Carmichael Gardens, Dundee.

Iain Spink, owner of the Original Smokies From Arbroath. Are products like this still protected?