Cutting red tape after Brexit could lead to food fraud

Sir, Attempts to cut red tape and strike cheap trade deals after Brexit have all the ingredients for the next big food scandal.

Following warnings that a no-deal Brexit will see up to 50,000 tonnes of food imports each day rotting at our borders, the government has hinted it could waive food safety regulations. This would create the ideal conditions for food fraud to flourish.

Even without Brexit, it’s all too easy for food to be substituted, blended or adulterated. Many councils are already cutting down on routine testing, and labels and packages are susceptible to counterfeit themselves. That’s why companies are increasingly using forensic science to test products’ intrinsic properties, which cannot be forged or altered, and to verify the products’ origins.

Shoppers care about this issue. Eighty-five per cent say they would think twice about buying a brand’s produce if it were involved in food fraud. And if the government turns a blind eye to the risk of fraud in the wake of Brexit, it’s both brands and consumers who will pay the price.

Grant Cochrane, CEO, Oritain