Source: Pixabay, PublicDomainPictures

Britain will not be lowering its food standards as part of trade talks with the United States. This news comes from a mandate ahead of upcoming talks on a free trade agreement.

“The UK’s independent food regulators will continue to ensure that all food imports into the UK comply with those high standards,” the document said. “Without exception, imports into the UK will meet our stringent food safety standards – all food imports into the UK must be safe and this will not change in any future agreement.”

Respondents to a public consultation on the proposed trade pact repeatedly raised the issue of food safety.

An excerpt from the mandate is pictures below.

Source: Department for International Trade

“Concerns were raised around US food standards in a number of areas, including use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), “hormone-fed or injected beef”, over-use of pesticides, ‘chlorine-washed chicken’ and levels of preservatives or additives,” the document said.

Reports in The Guardian estimate that trade deal with the U.S. would increase the British economy from 0.07 to 0.16% by the middle of the decade. Critics of Britain’s exit from the European Union warned that the growth from a U.S. pact would fail to offset the impact of fresh trade barriers with the EU, if post-Brexit talks on that deal collapse.

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Source: Equities News