Claims that UK border issues can be resolved simply through technology in the event of a “no deal” Brexit have been labelled as misguided and irresponsible by the Chartered institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).
Responding to a series of recent statements from politicians extolling technology as the way to resolve border issues, most notably in Northern Ireland, CIEH has again raised the issue of food inspection.
While technical solutions could help customs checks on cross border trade to be rapidly conducted, CIEH said politicians and commentators seem to have forgotten that food imported from EU countries will still need physical hygiene inspection, and possiblly chemical and microbiological analysis.
This is required to determine that the food is what it claims to be, comes from where it is supposed to have come from, and is safe for consumption.
These checks are conducted by Environmental Health professionals at UK ports, where they physically enter lorries and containers to inspect food, sample it and, where necessary, detain it pending further examination.
Tony Lewis, head of policy at CIEH, said:“Once again the vital issue of food has been overlooked by politicians and commentators who should know better by now.
“It may well be an inconvenient truth, but physical inspections on food being imported into the UK in the event of a “no deal” scenario are incredibly important. Suspending such interventions would open up the UK food system to heightened levels of food fraud and other criminality.
“Given that such controls are key to the health of the British public post Brexit, it is misguided and irresponsible to suggest that technology will solve all border issues.”
CIEH has released two reports highlighting issues aroundfood, Brexit,and theUK’s borders, and said it was “concerned that the very clear warnings are seemingly not being heard in some quarters”.
“We call on the Government to take this matter seriously and commit to ensuring that out food safety and standards are not sacrificed on the altar of political ideology,” Lewis added.
