Post Brexit food standards,,,

[Druncan]

This sounds ominous. DEFRA's self protecting food markets,,,, Is it me or is this an opportunity for cheap lower standard imported foods flooding the UK and GM barley etc,,,
https://www.foodservicefootprint.com/unconvincing-villiers-leaves-more-questions-than-answers/

 

[Rodcx500z]

More than likely, people living longer costing a fortune in pensions they have to kill us owd un's off some how

 

[An Ankoù]

More than likely, people living longer costing a fortune in pensions they have to kill us owd un's off some how

Not fair. We're doing our bit by drinking as much as we can. We don't need any extra help thanks.

 

[Richie_asg1]

"There is a view held by a number of senior cabinet ministers on the right of the Conservative party – trade secretary – that the consumer, not the government, should be the ultimate arbiter of what we eat in this country and how we eat it."

So it looks like they may relax standards if it benefits production, and let the market decide if it wants to buy it.
But it looks like we the consumer won't get to know what the grain has been sprayed with unless there is some serious traceability.
You need regulation of pesticides to prevent build up in the soil, as one crop that may be heavily sprayed can be followed by carrots that will just suck it up but not being sprayed can be sold as not being sprayed.

I hope there will be some sense out of it all.

 

[An Ankoù]

This sounds ominous. DEFRA's self protecting food markets,,,, Is it me or is this an opportunity for cheap lower standard imported foods flooding the UK and GM barley etc,,,
https://www.foodservicefootprint.com/unconvincing-villiers-leaves-more-questions-than-answers/

It absolutely is and you can be sure that standards will be adjusted so that Boris' mates can trouser even more cash. This is a good time to start looking for other sources than the supermarkets. Did anybody see the state of those pigs who were eating each other at a "quality" pig farm in Northern Ireland. It's made me think again about buying supermarket meat. (Shut up MyQul. No!) The trouble is that when I had a family to bring up, I couldn't have afforded not to use the supermarkets. Perhaps this is an opportunity to support the local producer and lower the carbon footprint on transporting unseasonal produce.
Much more worrying though, if we want to really get real, is how much extra will your Weyermann's malt, Slovenian and New World hops etc etc cost if Boris doesn't get his trade agreements sorted out!!!

 

[An Ankoù]

"There is a view held by a number of senior cabinet ministers on the right of the Conservative party – trade secretary – that the consumer, not the government, should be the ultimate arbiter of what we eat in this country and how we eat it."

So it looks like they may relax standards if it benefits production, and let the market decide if it wants to buy it.e is only one
But it looks like we the consumer won't get to know what the grain has been sprayed with unless there is some serious traceability.
You need regulation of pesticides to prevent build up in the soil, as one crop that may be heavily sprayed can be followed by carrots that will just suck it up but not being sprayed can be sold as not being sprayed.

I hope there will be some sense out of it all.

You can be sure that if they can shaft us, they will.
Boycott food and stick to homebrew. If the Belgian monks could manage the entire 40 days of Lent on such a diet, I'm sure a bit of British stiff upper lip will see us through.

 

[Dutto]

Stop panicking!

The government is only carrying out their promises to "Get Brexit Done", "Get our country back!" and "Cut EU Red Tape"

I'm sure there will be more to come and most of us voted for it - didn't we?

BTW:

1. When we moved to Sleaford I noticed a huge brick built edifice on the outskirts of town that was derelict. I asked a local what is was and was informed "It's the old Bass malting place and brewery." I could have wept! A magnificent old building left to rot and (as far as I am aware) not a barley crop in sight anywhere in the county of Lincolnshire.

2. Childhood memory. Bass bottled a "Blue Label" and a "Red Label". The "Red Label" indicated that the brew was carbonated in the bottle and therefore contained yeast. After a night on the "Red Label" (but thinking it was the "Blue Label") my Dad must have been worse for wear the next morning as I heard Mum say 'Well go and die at work then!" as she threw him out of the door! Happy Days?

 

[An Ankoù]

Stop panicking!

The Wise One subscribes to the school of thought whose philosophy is "the pessimist is rarely disappointed". These days she berates herself for not having been pessimistic enough and is beginning to put Douglas Adams' Marvin to shame. Her hopes for the future are not promising either here or there, and she is, after all, not known as The Wise One for nothing!
Must get her some more "Citra" on the brew to take the edge off her prescience a bit.

 

[marshbrewer]

A magnificent old building left to rot and (as far as I am aware) not a barley crop in sight anywhere in the county of Lincolnshire.

There's loads of Barley grown in Lincs, @Dutto ! Not as much as wheat, obviously, but it is there. The various maltings dotted around the county were mainly closed because of obsolescence. I know us home brewers all swoon over traditional, floor malted heritage malts but the market mainly wants consistent pale / lager malts for commercial mass produced brands, which can be produced more efficiently in modern maltings. Ironically, there was one such maltings in Louth, but it was closed, in part I understand because it was more efficient than planned but the local council wouldn't let them build some more silos so it could run full tilt and cost effectively.

 

[Clint]

Buy it Dutto....I'll buy malt off ya!

 

[marshbrewer]

Im afraid it was knocked down and is an Aldi now! Stood derelict for nearly 20 years.

 

[Druncan]

No alignment with common sense after Brexit’ warns Sajid Javid

Chancellor, Sajid Javid has accepted that businesses will be hit by Brexit and is tackling this by ensuring “there will be no alignment” to any semblance of coherent rationality because we MUST deviate from all EU rules, obviously.

Javid, who is in charge of UK PLC and ensuring the economy, well, you know, actually f*cking functions, is masterfully ignoring the concerns of manufacturers and industry at large about effectively ditching just about all commonality with EU regulations, because what do they know, right?

Treasury spokesperson, Simon Williams said, “We understand that the Food and Drink Federation has said that a lack of alignment would be a “death knell” for friction-less trade.

“They’re obviously just thinking of it logically based on years of experience dealing with EU countries. Bless their simple little minds.

“They are clearly just re-moaner whinge bags who can’t accept the decision of 17.4 million people, blah-de-f*cking-blah. Everyone wants to pay more for food and to see businesses struggle because that’s obviously what they voted for.

“Applying common sense to ensure minimal damage to the economy is not what we were elected to do. (News Thump)

 

[the_quick]

The things is, that EU food regulation ate just basic minimal standards, mainly for food safety, each country can build on those standards to even higher ones.

So for me this is clearly to lower those standards below those from EU - well known chlorinated chickens, using growth hormones etc - possibly to open market for US producers.
If that happens our farmers will be screwed. And we might not even know where the food comes from, as labelling standards might be dropped as well.

 

[dad_of_jon]

The things is, that EU food regulation ate just basic minimal standards, mainly for food safety, each country can build on those standards to even higher ones.

So for me this is clearly to lower those standards below those from EU - well known chlorinated chickens, using growth hormones etc - possibly to open market for US producers.
If that happens our farmers will be screwed. And we might not even know where the food comes from, as labelling standards might be dropped as well.

Labeling here is key, or avoiding any food with made in or produce of USA on it. oh hang on what about 'merica's great ipa's. I already mourn the lack of sixpoint beers in 'spoons. As for food I always go for food provided to high welfare standards so as long as there's something like the red tractor or similar scheme that's where my money goes. I've not knowingly eaten an egg from a caged hen for years.

 

[Cwrw666]

Growth hormones in farm animals in the uk have been illegal since the 1970s - but ask yer man in the street and that's what they think us farmers do anyway.
Thinking of quitting producing food from our farm and `rewilding'. You f***kers can go and eat grass.

ps. just blown dry January and had a couple of bottles of a rather splendid amber cascade I knocked out in december.But the above is still true...

 

[Clint]

Looks like I might be getting extra allotment...doubling up on all the essential...no nuclear cabbages for me!

 

[An Ankoù]

just blown dry January and had a couple of bottles of a rather splendid amber cascade I knocked out in december.

We're proud of you. Dry January, the gloomiest month of the year (about from February, but Feb is mercifully short) and people want us to be dry. Enculez ça pour une allouette as Dell Boy would say.

 

[Dutto]

There's loads of Barley grown in Lincs, @Dutto ! Not as much as wheat, obviously, but it is there. .............

I was looking at the fields between Sleaford and Skegness via Boston, which are full of brassicas rather than grain - sorry.

However, a bit of research gave me this link ...

https://lincolnshire.org/lincolnshire-arable-farming/

... to cheer me up!

The article pulls no punches and states ...

"Today, farming in Lincolnshire is going through a difficult time. This is partly because it has seen changes in European Union support ... " i.e. EU support will shortly be ZERO! The article then went on to say ...

"Some of the farms have been converted into holiday homes, fishing lakes, paint gun battlegrounds and wildlife walks."

Oh joy! We stop subsidies, throw out the immigrants that we employ to pick the fruit and veg in the fields and change our farms over to:

• Holiday homes. (Who will be able to afford a holiday?)
• Fishing lakes. (That will rapidly become "fish-free" zones as people take the fish away for their supper.)
• Paint gun battlegrounds and wildlife walks. (Or "foraging for food" as it will be called!)

 

[marshbrewer]

The UK gov have already said existing farming subsidies will continue, and gradually phased over to whatever the brew regime will be.

EU Agricultural subsidies haven't been based on production for absolutely donkeys years, and are framed around the environment. As such, they are more if a subsidy on owning land, although that is a bit of a simplification.

 

[Dutto]

The UK gov have already said existing farming subsidies will continue, and gradually phased over to whatever the brew regime will be.

......

Er ... the "changes in European Union support ..." will go to zero when we leave the EU.

I am also aware that the government have promised to maintain farming subsidies, but they have made many other promises that I don't expect them to keep either.