FOOD IMPORTS
Dover toll
THERE was joy pretty much all round the deal struck with the EU to end routine border checks on food imports and exports, which had fallen by 7 percent and 21 percent respectively post-Brexit. But the relaxation doesn’t come without risks.
Thanks to failing systems introduced to cope with increased checks planned after Brexit and exclusion from EU systems, critical safety screening is already being missed. In February, Eye 1643 reported how food products that were banned after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany had entered the country. Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee chair Alistair Carmichael MP wrote to biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman to point out this was “due to failings in Defra’s communications and IT systems, specifically IPAFFS [import of product, animals, food and feed system]”, which replaced the EU “Traces” system.