Which? responds to the government’s consultations on post-Brexit trade deals

Caroline Normand, Which? Director of Advocacy, said:

“The opportunity to strike trade deals brings potential benefits for British consumers in terms of greater choice and more competitive prices – but this must not come at the expense of product safety, food production standards or consumer rights.

“The government must listen to the thousands of people who have expressed concerns about having food produced to lower animal welfare and safety standards – which have resulted in the US having significantly higher rates of foodborne diseases like salmonella – on supermarket shelves in the UK as a result of post-Brexit trade deals.

“Ministers must now commit to consulting widely and in a transparent way on their negotiating priorities for any future trade deals to ensure they meet the expectations of British consumers. The nation’s safety, health and rights must not be used as a bargaining chip to facilitate international trade.”

Notes to editor

• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around one in six Americans (around 48 million people) suffer from foodborne diseases every year. The equivalent figure in Britain is around one in 60 (one million cases a year according to the Food Standards Agency’s estimate).
• Which? set out four key consumer tests for a future UK-US trade deal in a report on UK trade negotiations with the US, published last year.

Statement