Food standards ‘must be maintained’

The majority of British consumers are against imports of lower standard food as part of any future UK-US trade deal, a survey has suggested.

In a poll of more than 2,000 people carried out for consumer group Which?, 86% were worried that a weakening of standards under a post-Brexit free trade agreement could lead to currently banned products appearing in the UK.

Which? said this could include chlorinated chicken and hormonetreated beef being served up in schools, hospitals and restaurants, where people may have little information or choice about what they eat.

The survey revealed that 74% of those questioned were opposed to importing food produced using these methods, a response that was consistent across all socio-economic groups.

Some 95% of people said it is important for the UK to maintain existing food standards, which ban the use of chlorine-washing, growth hormones and many pesticides.

One million people have signed a National Farmers’ Union petition calling for laws to prevent future trade deals leading to food imports that would be illegal to produce in the UK.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss told MPs last week that the UK’s high food standards would not be compromised by any new trade deals she strikes.

Meanwhile, the new executive director of supermarket chain Waitrose, James Bailey, has thrown his support behind the call for new legislative provisions.

Writing to customers, he said that “any regression from the standards we have pioneered for the last 30 years, both as a business and as a country, would be an unacceptable backwards step”.

He added: “It would be simply wrong to maintain high standards at home yet import food from overseas that has been produced to lower standards.”

British consumers are opposed to importing inferior food products.