No-deal Brexit: Food exports to be turned away from EU in 'health mark chaos', industry warns

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It reads: “For businesses who export POAO to the EU, the health and ID marks must carry either: the official two-digit ISO Code GB or the full country name in capital letters UNITED KINGDOM.” If there a crash-out Brexit, “the revised marks would apply to all POAO exported to the EU immediately from the date of the UK’s exit from the EU ”. The FSA also said it could only “aim to agree a transition period”, adding: “The point at which the new marks will come into effect will depend on the nature of the UK’s exit from the EU.” Mr Wright added: “If producers trading with the EU don’t have the appropriate health mark, those products may have to come back to the UK and be sold at a loss, or they may end up as food waste. “The advice came less than 6 weeks before it was potentially coming into effect – but the turnaround time for packaging is three months.” To add to the potential confusion, exports to non-EU countries must be stamped ‘UK’, unless the receiving country has agreed to the new descriptions. “The FSA has provided industry with clear guidance as to what forms of the health and identification marks are applicable to the UK, EU and non-EU markets.”