Another new Brexit thread

[joe123]

The issue is with alcohol and cigarettes, people do have the choice but we restrict it to over a certain age (and tax heavily for doing it).

The issue with food is less the individual making the choice, it’s them making it on behalf of their children. My wife works in a primary school and the amount of kids that only get a decent meal at school really is depressing.

Not a brexit thing as such, but to me we should never be looking to reduce standards or regulations around awareness of food content.

There's the knock on effects for the health service as well. Lower food standards will mean lower cost to the consumer at the til, but we're already a pretty unhealthy nation as it is, and this could contribute further to the burden on the NHS in the long term. It seems tho that the reason we won't introduce legislation on this is that it would knacker any deal with the USA.

 

[journolud]

The issue is with alcohol and cigarettes, people do have the choice but we restrict it to over a certain age (and tax heavily for doing it).

The issue with food is less the individual making the choice, it’s them making it on behalf of their children. My wife works in a primary school and the amount of kids that only get a decent meal at school really is depressing.

Not a brexit thing as such, but to me we should never be looking to reduce standards or regulations around awareness of food content.

yes even with the apparent food standards we have there is a lot of poor quality food av

There's the knock on effects for the health service as well. Lower food standards will mean lower cost to the consumer at the til, but we're already a pretty unhealthy nation as it is, and this could contribute further to the burden on the NHS in the long term. It seems tho that the reason we won't introduce legislation on this is that it would knacker any deal with the USA.

That’s the rub and a bit of an inconvenient truth if you ask me. We’re still at the point of ifs, buts and maybes though and either those of us concerned about the lowering of standards will eventually hold our hands up and say we were wrong to be so worried or the naysayers will acknowledge we were right, although it will be too late to go back.

Secondary to the quality of what ends up on our plates is the route it took to get there ie standards of care for animals and/or workers and the carbon footprint of importing food from further afield

 

[BobKowalski]

There's the knock on effects for the health service as well. Lower food standards will mean lower cost to the consumer at the til, but we're already a pretty unhealthy nation as it is, and this could contribute further to the burden on the NHS in the long term. It seems tho that the reason we won't introduce legislation on this is that it would knacker any deal with the USA.

Yep. We either accept their food standards or forget it, meaning we accept their animal welfare care and practices.

Govt will say we will keep our standards but accept ’differing’ standards on imported food from the US which will handicap our agricultural sector with our more expensive animal welfare care and practices.

If we do accept them, it will likely exclude NI or we ’thicken’ the internal customs border as the EU does not want US food into their market. European population is hostile to what it sees as ’unhealthy’ food which produces ’fat Americans’. UK population is also quite hostile. Some of this hostility is cultural.

 

[journolud]

Yep. We either accept their food standards or forget it, meaning we accept their animal welfare care and practices.

Govt will say we will keep our standards but accept ’differing’ standards on imported food from the US which will handicap our agricultural sector with our more expensive animal welfare care and practices.

If we do accept them, it will likely exclude NI or we ’thicken’ the internal customs border as the EU does not want US food into their market. European population is hostile to what it sees as ’unhealthy’ food which produces ’fat Americans’. UK population is also quite hostile. Some of this hostility is cultural.

Although we don’t seem to mind McDonald’s and Pizza Hut

 

[BobKowalski]

Although we don’t seem to mind McDonald’s and Pizza Hut

Yes, we are more ’Americanised’ in our diet and tend to be more unhealthy as a consequence. However, the source for the products is still British and Irish beef, British potatoes.

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Now we’re out of the EU, at least we can top our geegees locally before we mince them and put them in lasagnas, no stress ferrying them around La Belle France.
Now that we don’t adhere to their regulations, there won’t be anybody tempted to sling retired donkeys off Bell Towers, or shove food down geese necks for nice tasting livers.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

He did say a few pages ago he was sat in his second home in the EU (Spain I think) and was confident his access to health care would stay the same, so I would guess so.

I could be wrong, as i never got a reply when i asked, but im nearly certain he lives in Ireland....

This came from conversations a long time ago...possibly about the NI situation...and it stuck with me, obvious as i live in NI

 

[west didsblue]

I could be wrong, as i never got a reply when i asked, but im nearly certain he lives in Ireland....

This came from conversations a long time ago...possibly about the NI situation...and it stuck with me, obvious as i live in NI

If that's true he won't need residency in his second home in Spain because he'll be guaranteed reciprocity because he lives in Ireland. Either way it's a case of I'm alright Jack.

 

[bluethrunthru]

what gets me is the assumption by some that low standard, low animal welfare cheaply produced food means cheap food at the point of sale. If you are an American producer who produces a chicken product for say 25p per unit and sell it in the states for 50p then - when given access to the UK market you see a similar product selling at £1 a unit because of higher overheads and welfare standards why not match the UK price and massively increase your profits?

 

[joe123]

what gets me is the assumption by some that low standard, low animal welfare cheaply produced food means cheap food at the point of sale. If you are an American producer who produces a chicken product for say 25p per unit and sell it in the states for 50p then - when given access to the UK market you see a similar product selling at £1 a unit because of higher overheads and welfare standards why not match the UK price and massively increase your profits?

I’m not an economic expert by any stretch but my assumption is that they’d sell cheaper to undercut the £1 units and take market share whilst the local producer can’t afford to sell for less. Could be wrong tho!