MAFF wants multiples to do its welfare dirty work Tesco faces new imports moan Mike Ingham Intimidation of suppliers by supermarkets is acceptable so long as the victims are foreigners. That seems to be the principle guiding pig producers pressing Tesco to boycott imported pork and bacon. But a spokesman said: "We've felt this pressure before, over issues like apartheid. We didn't do it then and we won't do it now." Tesco finds itself under attack for allegedly breaking a promise to stock only pigmeat produced to UK welfare standards ­ a commitment critics claim means it should delist product from the majority of Continental suppliers which will still be using stall and tether systems after these are banned in the UK from the end of this year. The multiple insists it will refuse raw material, including imports, from stall and tether systems for own-brand products. But Tesco says it did not, and could not, impose the same restrictions on all supplier brands ­ "That's how the market works," spokesman David Sawday argued. An echo of the GM maize row can be detected, as the government seems to want to impose its livestock welfare policy on foreign suppliers by proxy, but is surprised the UK multiples are not strong enough to do it. "We think UK farmers will have a marketing edge, and we would wish the supermarkets to require their other suppliers to match these standards," a MAFF spokesman said adding: "We've no means of enforcing it." {{MEAT }}

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