Dozens of MPs and peers have backed Which?’s call for the
government to clarify its food standards commitments, amid
concerns current laws banning chlorine-washed chicken and
hormone-treated beef could be changed without a vote in
parliament.
The letter, organised by Which?, is addressed to Secretary
of State for International Trade MP and
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
and highlights on-going concerns surrounding the
government’s manifesto pledge to protect food standards as trade
deals are negotiated with the United States, Japan, Australia and
New Zealand.
While the government has made welcome commitments in
parliament to protect the UK’s world-leading food standards
regime, it has resisted efforts to have these included in the
Agriculture or Trade Bills - maintaining that existing laws ban
food produced to lower standards in the UK.
The government has also declined an opportunity to confirm
to MPs that it will not ask the current parliament to remove the
bans on chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef from the
statute book. Which? has concerns - supported by a growing body
of expert opinion - that some of these laws could be changed
using secondary legislation.
The letter calls on the government to reassure millions of
consumers that it will maintain the existing bans and will not
ask this parliament at any stage to change the law. It also asks
the government to provide much-needed clarity about what is
entailed by its commitments, so the public can have confidence
that food standards will not be undermined.
The letter has gained widespread support from senior
politicians across all parties in the House of Commons and House
of Lords - including former agriculture ministers, one of whom is
also a former head of the Food Standards Agency, the chair of the
International Trade Committee and a former chair of the Commons
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
Which? research has shown the majority (95%) of British
consumers believe the UK’s current high food standards should be
maintained and nearly three-quarters (72%) are strongly opposed
to imports of food produced to lower standards such as
chlorinated chicken and beef injected with hormones.
In the next few months, trade talks will intensify as the
government attempts to secure deals before the transition period
with the EU ends. However, public support is needed for these
deals to be deemed a success.
As parliament returns and amid concerns that consumers have
already been excluded from trade discussions and advisory groups,
the government must use this opportunity to reassure the public
that the food standards built up over 20 years of national effort
will not be traded away at the negotiating table.
The government should also take the chance to send a strong
message to trading partners that the UK is ready to strike
ambitious trade deals that bring greater choice and more
competitive prices for consumers, on the basis of working
together to improve food standards for all.
Anabel Hoult, CEO of Which?, said:
“Despite the government’s pledges to protect food standards
in future trade deals, the public remains concerned that the ban
on chlorine-washed chicken and beef-injected hormones could be
dropped without proper scrutiny.
“As parliament returns, the government must address these
concerns by clarifying its commitment to protect food standards
and giving a cast-iron guarantee that it will not, in this
parliament, seek to remove this ban from the statute
books.”
Notes to editors:
More than 200,000 people have already joined Which?’s Save
Our Food Standards campaign and signed our petition calling on
the government to uphold these hard won protections as the UK
negotiates new trade deals. Find out more here: https://campaigns.which.co.uk/save-food-standards/
