British protected food name plan
Speaking in the House of Commons recently, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Liz Truss, outlined her plans for developing a British protected food names status for when Britain leaves the EU.
Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
New legislation will be required as the current scheme is governed by the EU and will not apply to UK products once Brexit comes into effect.
When asked by shadow Scottish National Party (SNP) spokesperson, Alison Thewliss what will replace the EU protected food name scheme for UK products, Truss replied: “This is an extremely important issue and it is one of the issues on which we are working at the moment. However, I hope that we will develop a British protected food names status in the future.”
Currently there are over 70 products in the UK which are protected under the EU protected food name scheme, including the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Scotch Lamb, Scotch Beef, Welsh Lamb, and Welsh Beef.
Truss’s proposal of a British food name status will aim to alleviate some of the concern in the industry on the subject.
Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the UK Protected Food Names Association and the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association.
Chairman of the UK Protected Food Names Association and the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, Matthew O’Callaghan, commented: “We have some very worried members and there’s a lot of concern about what happens now.
“You don’t have to be a member of the EU to be protected – for example Columbian coffee is protected – but it has to be a reciprocal arrangement. They protect our products if we protect theirs.
“We will need specific legislation to protect iconic products in the UK and if we want to protect them in the EU, and my fear is that it’s going to get lost in everything else that’s being discussed.”
HCC chairman Dai Davies added: “We have to ensure that the needs of Welsh red meat are considered in trade negotiations, and that arrangements are put in place for the vital PGI status of Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef, which are such important markers of the quality and traceability of our produce. It was reassuring to hear the UK Secretary of State refer to the importance of this issue in Parliament.”
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