Brexit – the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) – could create a nightmare scenario for Britain’s food and drink industry, where companies have to abide by EU food regulations if they want to export to the EU but have no say over the regulations, according to The Guardian.
EU critics argue that British food businesses could benefit from Brexit because the government would be able to relax some of the requirements and rules. Hygiene rules could be made less onerous, slaughterhouse rules could be changed, they say.
But this would be a very dangerous game to play – opening up the possibility of France or Poland, for example, saying “our food is safer than yours.” And if national laws were to be relaxed, none of the food produced to these rules could be exported to the EU because it would not be in line with EU requirements.
Furthermore, many of the past excesses of Brussels are long gone. Retailers are allowed under EU rules to sell bendy cucumbers now. If they are not on sale, it is because the supermarkets think consumers won’t buy them.
The website just-food.com offers food industry reactions to the Brexit vote at http://www.just-food.com/news/brexit-what-will-it-mean-for-the-food-industry-live-reaction_id133631.aspx
To read more, click here.
