UK at Risk of Food Fraud Post-Brexit, Warns Food Safety Expert Professor Chris Elliott
The UK’s food supply chain is at risk of new scandals due to a lack of access to European intelligence networks post-Brexit, warns Professor Chris Elliott, who chaired the government inquiry into the 2013 horsemeat scandal. Millions of products were withdrawn from supermarket shelves after it was discovered that horsemeat had been substituted for beef.
Professor Elliott says that since Brexit, the UK is no longer part of the EU Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN), which helps coordinate activities concerning cross-border food fraud. The UK also no longer has full access to the EU’s rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF). While the UK does receive alerts for issues directly affecting the country, there is no sharing of intelligence on fraud happening or suspected to be happening in mainland Europe.
Elliott highlights that the UK’s ports do not have the same level of infrastructure or facilities as Rotterdam, one of the world’s biggest food ports. While most consignments of animals and animal products imported from non-EU countries are checked at a border control post, the government has repeatedly delayed checks on EU imports. Ministers recently announced that a new system of post-Brexit border checks will be introduced from the end of October.
Professor Elliott is also concerned about the budget cuts in England for officials investigating food fraud and safety. He warns that local authorities have massively cut back on food surveillance, while private audits are often not fit for purpose.
Despite overall improvements in combating food fraud since the horsemeat scandal, thanks in part to the creation of a National Food Crime Unit in the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Professor Elliott warns that Brexit has taken the UK back. He notes that there is better sharing of information in the industry with the formation in 2015 of the Food Industry Intelligence Network, which includes members from retail, food production, and the hospitality industry.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says that the UK implements strict biosecurity controls on high-risk imports to ensure that no products cross the borders that could pose a risk to the industry. DEFRA also stringently monitors emerging outbreaks across the globe, assesses any risks to the UK’s food supply chain, and works closely with the National Food Crime Unit to tackle food fraud while promoting the sale of high-quality British produce. DEFRA also has powers to check and seize non-compliant products and will not hesitate to do so.
In conclusion, while there have been improvements in combating food fraud since the 2013 horsemeat scandal, the UK’s food supply chain is still at risk of new scandals post-Brexit due to a lack of access to European intelligence networks. The UK government needs to take action to address these concerns and ensure the safety and integrity of the country’s food supply chain.
