CIEH urge the Conservative Party to commit to maintaining and improving our high food standards in any future trade deals

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has welcomed the commitment from the Conservative Party’s manifesto to ensure that ‘all food and drink products imported into the UK, including those from countries the UK has trade agreements with, must comply with the UK’s high standards’. 

As outlined within our 2024 manifesto, CIEH have urged the government to commit to maintaining and improving the UK’s high food standards in any future trade deals. The global food system and UK’s position within this has undergone a major transformation in recent years. Since the UK is no longer bound by EU regulations, free trade deals with non-EU countries present several potential risks to UK food safety, including the genetic modification of crops, food additives and chlorinated disinfectants. Crucially, these risks have become heightened as the UK has increased the number of high-risk foods now subject to enhanced checks at the border. The Conservative’s commitment will help to address these risks to food standards, especially as the UK looks to finalise a trade deal with India.  

Importantly, this commitment to food standards must be aligned with enhancing the capacity of environmental health professionals who provide the frontline implementation of the UK’s food standards. As the FSA’s recent analysis outlined, environmental health teams are facing huge workforce challenges with 14% few food safety posts being funded compared to a decade ago.  

CIEH also acknowledges the Conservative manifesto's commitments in relation to environmental health issues such as stricter penalties for fly-tipping as well as their commitment to reintroducing the Renters Reform Bill in their first King’s Speech.  

The Conservatives ‘Plan for Water’, which talks about preventing banning bonuses for executives of water companies guilty of committing serious criminal breaches, does not go far enough. CIEH has called for tougher penalties, possibly even criminal sanctions against water companies illegally discharging untreated sewage into our waterways. CIEH also notes the absence of plans for tackling air and noise pollution in the Conservative Manifesto.   

Louise Hosking, Executive Director of Environmental Health at CIEH, said: 

“When the election campaign began, we were clear with our ask to all political parties to commit to maintaining and improving the UK’s high food standards in any future trade deals.  

We welcome the commitment from the Conservative Party to maintain these standards and urge them to now grant adequate resources and funding for local authorities to implement commitments around food safety, alongside fly tipping and water pollution. 

We continue to call on all political parties to commit to supporting environmental health and the policies in our manifesto.”