Concerns have been raised about a âlack of import controlsâ post Brexit on food safety.
Watchdogs at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) raised the issue in a report, which told how the current situation means there is no âofficial assuranceâ from the exporting country that items coming into the UK meet its âhigh standardsâ.
The UK imports about 40 million tonnes of food from overseas each year â with the EU remaining the biggest supplier, accounting for more than 90% of all beef, dairy, eggs and pork products imported into the UK and nearly two-thirds (65%) of all food and feed not of animal origin.
The FSA and FSS stressed there is no evidence the standards of products coming from the European Union have fallen, but they said: âThe current situation does reduce our ability to prevent foods that do not meet the UKâs high standards from being placed on our market.â
The two organisations raised their concerns in their inaugural annual report, which was published after what was described as being a challenging time for the food sector.
The report noted there have been âtwo years of major upheaval following the UKâs departure from the EU, the significant effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, the disruption caused by the war in Ukraineâ.
Overall, the two bodies concluded that âfood safety standards have largely been maintained during 2021â, adding that âagainst the background of change and uncertainty, this is a remarkable achievementâ.
But with the safety inspections across the UK having fallen during the Covid pandemic, the report stressed that âthis is a cautious conclusionâ.
Both organisations also noted there were âsignificant risks aheadâ.
In relation to the food that comes to the UK from the EU, they said it is âessential that improved controls are put in place to the timescale that the UK Government has set outâ by the end 2023.
The report also highlighted the âfall in the level of local authority inspections of food businessesâ during the pandemic.
And while it described this as being âin the process of being repairedâ, the report said that progress was âconstrainedâ by resources and the availability of suitably qualified professionals.
Looking at eating habits across the UK, the report said there had been âvery little change in the nationâs nutrient intake over the last decade, with many people still falling short of official dietary recommendationsâ.
But it said there had been a ânotable reduction in the average intake of free sugars, particularly in childrenâ â although adding that amounts consumed still exceed recommended intakes.
The report also said that people were now eating less red and processed meat, with one in four people describing themselves as having âflexitarianâ eating habits, meaning that they are still eating meat but are cutting down on this along with dairy and other animal products.
The pandemic appears to have had a âmixedâ impact on peopleâs diets, with âevidence that restrictions led some people to prepare and eat healthier meals at home, but also increased the tendency to indulge in unhealthy snacks and takeawaysâ.
Food prices, meanwhile, rose by 4.5% between December 2020 and December 2021, the report said, adding that this was âthe greatest annual increase in the price of food from one December to the next since 2010â.
It added that the annual rise has since increased to 6.7% from April 2021 to April 2022, resulting in UK households spending an average of £72.45 a week on food, with this accounting for for 8.2% of household expenditure.
The report said: âWhen adjusted for inflation, we were spending 5.8% more on food in real terms in 2021 than we did over the previous five years on average, though this will vary between households.â
FSS chair, Heather Kelman said: âThis joint report comes at what we believe is a make or break juncture for food quality and safety, as we transition into a post-pandemic landscape and take on new responsibilities following our departure from the EU.â
She added: âIt is really encouraging that this evidence-led report has found that our high food standards we strive for in Scotland and the rest of the UK have been upheld during a particularly challenging period.
âHowever, the full effects of these momentous events are still being felt, and will continue to have an impact on our food systems for years to come.
âWe are under no illusions there are major challenges ahead. As the report points out, there is a significant issue in relation to local authority resourcing, which could have a dramatic effect on the ability to carry out inspections, food law delivery and, at the very core, it could cause a risk to public health.
âEstablishing full UK import controls is also an issue which has the potential to not only damage consumer confidence, but ultimately affect the high standards of foods being placed on the market in Scotland and the rest of UK.â
A UK Government spokesperson said: âWhen the UK left the European Union we regained the right to manage our own borders in a way that works for Britain. This includes how we manage imports into our country from overseas.
âOur new borders strategy will focus on technology to reduce unnecessary costs and delays â which will help businesses and consumers across the UK.
âThe controls introduced in January 2021 on the highest risk imports of animals, animal products, plants and plant products will continue to apply in order to safeguard the UKâs biosecurity.â
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