Brussels bosses have announced a European Union-wide organisation to allay public worries amid consumer fears of mad cow disease and dioxins.

But the body – to be launched in early 2002 – will simply sit in the slipstream of existing UK regulations, according to Henderson.

He said: 'As far as the UK is concerned, we have already made strong steps in horticulture.

'We have got on with it. All that is happening is that Europe is catching up. If we look across Europe, we've found that [standards] vary quite a lot.

'But UK producers have a strong story to tell about the Assured Produce Scheme (APS).' Henderson drew attention to the fact that UK industry has complied with the APS's stringent regulations while coping with ever-slimmer margins in a trouble-plagued sector.

He said: 'People tend to look at the negative – rather than the positive – but producers have done a very good job.' The Scotsman went on to explain that most UK growers would reach the standards of the new organisation anyway, but nevertheless welcomed the move.

He said: 'Anything that increases consumer confidence in the industry we will support.'

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