QMS confident PGI status will remain post-Brexit

QMS confident PGI status will remain post-Brexit

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) chairman Jim McLaren has said there is no reason to believe the PGI status of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb will be changed post-Brexit.

QMS chairman, Jim McLaren.

QMS chairman, Jim McLaren.

“There are numerous examples of non-EU member countries with products which benefit from Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status – from Colombian coffee to Indian tea,” he commented.

“We see no reason why Scotch Beef PGI and Scotch Lamb PGI, which were among the first meats in Europe to be awarded PGI status, should not continue to benefit from PGI status as long as the necessary production criteria are in place.”

McLaren has said QMS is making it an absolute priority to ensure consumers are in no doubt that it is “business as usual” for the Scottish red meat industry following the EU referendum.

“During a recent meeting of our board members, convened specifically to discuss the Brexit vote outcome, a range of areas relating to the different parts of the Scottish red meat chain were discussed,” he explained.

“It is clear that, while there are still a great many unknowns, our industry is in a good position to adapt to the period of change in the months to come.”

Scotch Beef has PGI status.

Scotch Beef has PGI status and QMS is confident this will remain unchanged post-Brexit.

McLaren said the Scottish industry has worked hard, over many decades, to build strong brands and to produce top quality products which have earned an iconic global reputation.

“This includes our long-established relationships with customers in our export markets around the globe as well as elsewhere in the UK,” he said.

The value of forging these close relationships shines through during times of change, said McLaren, and it is important that the industry continues to maintain very open channels of communication with customers.

Finally, McLaren emphasised that QMS remains fully committed to its core remit of working to shape a prospering and sustainable Scottish red meat industry.

“As an industry in Scotland we have worked hard to build strong brands and to produce top quality products which have earned an iconic global reputation,” he added.

“We are determined to ensure these brands, with their long-established, robust foundations, continue to be well-placed to adapt and grow in the new political landscape as it unfolds.”

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