Brexit mega thread part 13: All eyes on Ireland

[SerendipityJane]

With the Windsor framework up & running, and the DUP having a "you could set your calendar by it" hissy fit, but Irish unification refusing to keep it's head down, what next in the long running sage of UK vs. the real world ?

People who are concerned can buy what they want to buy.

But what happens if labelling to allow consumers to make informed choices is forbidden under the terms of the agreement?

So food labelling is not allowed to include the fact that more antibiotics have been used, or that GM plants have been used?

I think Louise has made themselves perfectly clear.

People should be allowed to buy what they want. "allowed" is antonymous with "not prevented". So no rules, regulations, oversight or hinderance.

Quite a bold approach, considering the history of consumer protection in both the US (which actually led in food standards for a while) and the UK.

https://x.com/mattholehouse/status/1813598032753217991

Interesting and unexpected. King's speech suggests an enabling law that will allow ministers to unilaterally mirror (as "sovereign choice") future EU product standards, which are due to be updated.

Oh goody. An enabling act !

I hope Farage was wearing 2 pairs of pants today.

UK consumer law/agencies should enforce UK standards, if producers want to sell a product in the UK, so long as it conforms to those standards, I think the maker shoud be able to.

by produce being made in the USA I meant things like cereals or electronics or I don't know sauce...whatever. I fairly obviously didn't mean an AR-15.

Why is there this covenant seemigly declaring that Only EU standards are acceptable for anything?

I'll tell you why I think it is, because people want European producers to be protected by EU standards, reducing choice and raising prices for European consumers.

I'll tell you why I think it is, because people want European producers to be protected by EU standards, reducing choice and raising prices for European consumers.

I think it's more because people don't want there to be such a thing as an acceptable level of insect parts or rat droppings in our food.

Snowflakes.

You'll be wanting clean water next !

US cereals and sauces in UK supermarket

Whatever next, fast food places and takeaway coffees?

“Senior health officials were diverted to plan for a ‘no deal Brexit’ – ultimately killing more people when Covid struck.”

inews.co.uk/news/covid-killed-more-officials-diverted-brexit-done-inquiry-finds-3176948

I really hope that is news to no one. It was widely discussed at the time.

Anybody who thinks US food standards are something to aspire to
has not been there

I wish I could remember more details, but there was a BBC documentary about the rise of food standards that highlighted a delightful concoction from New York streets that was scooped up and sold as food.

The amount of corn oil, sugars and salt in so much American foodstuffs is incredible as well as a whole laboratory full of 'additives' to make various cheap bulk items 'taste' appealing. For those that remember the old Windowlene (pink window cleaner) you can buy 1gallon (fortunately the lower quantity Amezrican gallon) bottles of 'fruit juice' that is the same pink and ad many foodstuffs are produced by Procter and Gamble who also make dishwasher soaps I only hope they are concentrating when they label the bottles.

Why does any of that information mean that US producers, who make products that meet UK standards, should face additional barriers in selling their products in the UK?

US producers, who make products that meet UK standards

Are there such beasts ?

A careful examination of "US" foods in the UK will reveal that they are actually made in the UK or EU. I wonder why ?

Well, for a start a lot of the food colourings they use in the US are banned here due to being carcinogenic.

Why does any of that information mean that US producers, who make products that meet UK standards, should face additional barriers in selling their products in the UK?
Almost no fresh foods produced in the USA are legal to sell in the EU or the UK.
As @SerendipityJane rightly says, most of what we think of as "American" products
are manufactured in Europe, particularly Ireland.

In the USA, prophylactic antibiotics are still legal.
As are farrowing crates
As is debeaking of chickens
All things banned in Europe decades ago.

Exactly this. The originals contain rightfully banned substances, so we get copies. And that's fine. When the free market ethos allows us to go backwards on health it's time to stop. Free markets without controls benefit only a very few very rich people.

Have a look at the ingredient lists on standard Trader Joe's products
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/chicken-karaage-073030
or
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/carrot-mini-sheet-cake-079277

and remember that Lamb is rarely eaten in the USA because it cannot be reared intensively

and remember that Lamb is rarely eaten in the USA because it cannot be reared intensively

To be fair there are other reasons. But yes, lamb is rare in most of the US.

Incidentally, this isn't an a priori US-bashing thread. I am sure most posters here are intelligent enough to grasp that (I really need to make a bumper sticker for this) THE US IS NOT THE UK. Things that make perfect sense in the US - for example a plethora of utility firms - make no sense in the UK. They didn't in the 70s and they don't now.

I don't think that Louise realises that the US usually expects the other signatory to a FTA to just rollover and accept its demands . It's used to calling all the shots . That's why in the end the TTIP (the FTA negotiations between the US and the EU) (and the successor discussions) died a death: the US wasn't used to dealing with another party that was of equal strength and who could and did say No

So at the moment, the US can only sell products that do meet UK standards (hence so many "American" products that are produced in the UK/EU).

The US wants (wanted) the UK to relax its standards to allow the US producers to export their products to the UK - and to ban labelling that identified them as such.

See also "levels of foreign bodies permitted within foodstuffs"

That makes me think of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"!

Windex (similar to Windowlene)
Not sure how it tastes tho'

"My dad believed in only two things: That Greeks should educate non-Greeks about being Greek, and that any ailment from psoriasis to poison ivy could be cured with Windex."

I don't think that Louise realises that the US usually expects the other signatory to a FTA to just rollover and accept its demands .
Whereas I think they realise perfectly and are using the old "you must be stupid" line of argument to try and shut us up. I would expect no less from someone whose Brexit was delivered the same way.

And I noticed, (but let slip briefly), the slight swerve over UK gun laws which prevent the US selling perfectly legal firearms to the UK. So either there is already a presumption of UK standards being a barrier to US trade, in which case why can't we continue to keep ratshit out of our food. Or the whole principle of UK sovereignty is anti competitive and needs to be removed.

And if AR15s are a bit strong, when will I be able to import some of that Cool Cali Cannabis that's legal over there ?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/19/europe-media-welcomes-starmer-reset-in-uk-eu-ties

I bash the bits of the US that need it - I was born there after all