Interesting talk on Radio 4 this morning regarding trade deals with America and the fact that American meat is full of chemicals that aren’t allowed in Europe.

What surprised me the most that no one mentioned how this would effect British farmers not even radio 4 mentioned it. It seems that the chief farmer guy for the UK was bothered about the chemicals. – yet up in arms over the milk scandal!

Glad the government supports British farmers !

…

Well there’s obviously a large amount of meat imported already from all over. 2 million tonnes, or 45% of meat consumed apparently.

inb4 #brexit#trump#racist#lies#posttruth#endoftheworld

5 years after Brexit there won’t be any farming in U.K. so won’t need a chief farmer.

Rachel

https://www.usmef.org/news-statistics/statistics/
Last year about 20,000t of beef to German, Netherlands and Italy none to the UK. Drop in the option really, probably about 40 decent beef cattle? So probably came in as something strange.

It seems that the chief farmer guy for the UK was bothered about the chemicals. – yet up in arms over the milk scandal!

Is that a typo?

What milk scandal?

Most US produced meat does not meet the standards required to be sold in the EU. too full of hormones and antibiotics

Alan Partridge explains American farming methods…

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxSbTlH0K4w[/video]

And yes… Trumps proposed trade deal will be to tell us to bend over, on this and so many other issues. Anyone who thinks otherwise is totally delusional.

For example… a few years ago we used to design games machines involving silk screen printing on to glass. All printing was done in the US. When I asked why, I was told that they use more resonant inks in the states.

They’re more resonant because they’re full of lead and mercury as the Americans don’t give a toss about environmental controls, and were all totally illegal in the EU

Most US produced meat does not meet the standards required to be sold in the EU. too full of hormones and antibiotics

That’s the point. US farmers are looking forward to flooding our supermarkets with their crap post-Brexit.

chief farmer guy

Woah! Calm down with the details. Dumb it down for the layman, please.

Jamie – Member
chief farmer guy
Woah! Calm down with the details. Dumb it down for the layman, please.

I was driving on the outside lane of the M45.5 in my Audi A6 estate gti/ghia at 300 mph forgive me if I was in a hurry to type…

…be more concerned about the cr4p you could be eating in a few years

Are we going to have to eat that disgusting white “butter” they put up with in the US?

Apparently they can’t get yellow butter cos the cows don’t eat enough grass. All I know is that the white “butter” is pretty nasty.

…be more concerned about the cr4p you could be eating in a few years

Why will you be eating crap?

American beef falls way below our standards, regarding antibiotics, steroids and other stuff.

At the moment we could be about 75% self sufficient in beef. We export quite a bit, so about 50% is imported. If our export market is reduced post brexit then we can reduce our imports, possibly even increase production?

However, you don’t have to eat imported meat, I know I don’t. I always check where it comes from, besides, particularly with beef and lamb, we produce the best in the World.

You can but USA pork from the meat counter in Costco (in the Glasgow one at least).

Beef farming like milk in the UK is a pretty marginal business.

Any cuts to farm subsidies will see the farms go under.

Without the sheer drive of the French farmers to maintain subsidies, Westminster will slash them.

Importing nice meat from Europe will be expensive.

Hello cheap American meat.

Any cuts to farm subsidies will see the farms go under.

Without the sheer drive of the French farmers to maintain subsidies, Westminster will slash them.

Why will they slash subsidies?

nice meat from Europe

Like that lovely Polish chicken? 🙄

Why will they slash subsidies?

Because they want to reduce taxes and there is a very real chance of a recession. the 350 million has been promised 10x over so something has to give

Why are people trying to hold up China as an example to the West?

well if the tories have spent teh last 10 years slashed funding for libraries, social care, councils, policing, prisons etc etc

what makes you think they wont do the same for farming sunsidies

Like that lovely Polish chicken?

meh battery farm is battery farm, unless you have something against poles?

meh battery farm is battery farm

It’s really not.

unless you have something against poles?

FFS. 🙄

oh tell me more…..

aaaaaaaaand we’re off!

oh tell me more…..

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/meatchickens/farming

http://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/standards/search?c=11

Importing nice meat from Europe will be expensive.

Making lovely UK meat more competitive.

No need for taxpayer handouts!

you are so gullable gobbuchul

http://www.viva.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/media-centre/media-releases/viva-exposes-scandal-red-tractor-%E2%80%98battery-cage%E2%80%99

and more OT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tyson-animal-abuse-chicken-breeding-farm_us_57acbddde4b007c36e4d90f1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/12/11/man-arrested-after-undercover-video-reveals-alleged-abuse-at-perdue-chicken-supplier/?utm_term=.d21a95662476

etc

how is this worse than poland

#alternative facts wont do,
If you can justify your bigotry please go ahead

Why will they slash subsidies?

The tories favour a reduced state, hence their rhetoric around austerity. Anything the government has been able to slash, they have been. And that was during ‘the good times”.

With a recession looming, they will have the justification to slash more.

The EU has ring fenced farm subsidies, mainly due to pressure of French farmers. Theres no way our own farmers have as much leverage in the Westminster bubble as French farmers do in the EU, nowhere near!

Our farming industry is not geared up to compete in a world market, it barely survives in a protected EU market.

And I didn’t even mention migrant labour.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/03/billions-of-farming-subsidies-could-be-diverted-to-nhs-after-bre/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38510423

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/11/farmers-fear-brexit-save-british-countryside-european-subsidy-wildlife-agriculture

you are so gullable gobbuchul

Not at all. There will always be people who bend and break rules.

The simple fact is that if you can transport chicken 1000 miles, still sell it cheaply and make a profit, then you must be cutting corners somewhere.

If you can justify your bigotry please go ahead

Where is the bigotry?

You can but USA pork from the meat counter in Costco (in the Glasgow one at least).

It’s downright weird though. My OH buys it when I’m not there to stop her. It’s so soft (too many hormones making them grow quickly, too much water, too much salt? I’ve no idea) you can barely chew it before it’s gone.

Has anyone actually confirmed that the UK won’t be keeping the current EU food standards after Brexit?

Making lovely UK meat more competitive.

Personally I am happy to eat less meat in exchange for better quality/welfare. I realise I am in a minority here though! I also think importing/exporting foodstuffs should be the exception rather than the norm.

As such I’m conflicted about subsidies… on the one hand I think it’s ultimately self-defeating to prop up an industry, but I also think it’s important for the UK to produce as much of it’s own food as possible to cut down on food miles.

zilog6128 – Member
Has anyone actually confirmed that the UK won’t be keeping the current EU food standards after Brexit?

What!!! The UK has no idea what is going to happen

american meat is tasty and cheap. I’m all for it.

It’s so soft

They are forced to put on weight quickly, hormones and steroids I think.

Fed on fish meal for a lot of their lives, then taken off the fish meal a couple of weeks before slaughter because it will smell and taste fishy if not.

The fish meal feed is used for cheap pork in the UK and Europe as well, but don’t think the same level of hormones and steroids are permitted.

american meat is tasty and cheap. I’m all for it.

your body and science may not thank you for that…. there is a really good reason why the EU has it’s laws and rules on food

Of course the UK can’t keep up the current standards, it’s got a trade deal with the USA to arrange. What do you think that’s going to mean other than opening up our market to USA agricultural produce? And it’s not as if they are going to change their standards to suit us.

The NFU man was just saying that at a minimum we have to be able to adopt the same standards here to compete.

You can but USA pork from the meat counter in Costco (in the Glasgow one at least).

It’s downright weird though. My OH buys it when I’m not there to stop her. It’s so soft (too many hormones making them grow quickly, too much water, too much salt? I’ve no idea) you can barely chew it before it’s gone. [/quote]

I’ve never actually had the guts to try it, can’t see how you can grow something so far away and ship/fly it here to sell for less than the UK pork next to it without quality suffering. I did ask the butcher there once about it, he said it was better quality and tastier than the UK stuff. I didn’t know what to make of that as the butchers there have been pretty good (and seemingly honest) at answering questions before.

So we are potentially 75% self sufficient in meat production.

We have higher welfare standards than current EU rules.

We currently import a lot of meat from Countries with lower welfare standards than our own. Including EU members.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/feb/16/meat-imports-animal-welfare-standards

Generally speaking, meat produced with higher welfare standards is of better quality.

Currently the USA can export any meat to us and the EU without a problem. But they don’t appear to. Why will that change after Brexit?

The EU still has significant over production and needs to export. Why will they stop exporting to us after Brexit?

Personally it won’t make much difference to me as I don’t knowingly eat imported meat anyway.

I live in the US. Some of the packaging for meat or Dairy has the statement that Hormone supplemented meat/dairy has the same nutritional value as non supplemented foods and the FDA has shown there is no effect on humans (or words to that effect).

All I know is if I have the hormone laced milk or the girl eats the meat we both end up feeling bad after a few meals. Also oddly the milk makes me gain weight and bloat up.

I often wonder if there is no impact from the hormones and additives why breast feeding women are told to be careful about what they eat etc. Different species but if bad things can pass into milk when humans make it then they probably do with cows.

In any event my recommendation would be to not buy cheap US imported meats if you can afford it.

Of course the UK can’t keep up the current standards, it’s got a trade deal with the USA to arrange.

That’s the concern isn’t it? In arranging trade deals with other countries we potentially have to relax our regulations to allow their stuff in – to the detriment of our producers. Once cheap, nasty stuff starts flowing in that’s yet more trouble for our farmers.

Personally I am happy to eat less meat in exchange for better quality/welfare.

I do the same. All my meat comes from a high quality butcher. But if the farmers supplying that meat go out of business, then what? I’ll be asking advice on recipes from the veggies.

The UK has, in general, been ahead of the rest of the EU in food standards. Our pig rearing standards are above other EU countries (but they are allowed to sell here); our (not mandatory) red tractor puts higher standards on poultry than the EU does; we were about the first to ban crated veal; etc. No reason to expect that to change.

I’m pretty sure that Trump and May are both keen for a US-UK trade deal. I’m also pretty sure that they have completely different ideas about what one will look like.

That’s the concern isn’t it? In arranging trade deals with other countries we potentially have to relax our regulations to allow their stuff in – to the detriment of our producers. Once cheap, nasty stuff starts flowing in that’s yet more trouble for our farmers.

Like our EU membership requires. If it comes from within the single market, we must accept it on our shelves regardless of whether it meets our national requirements or not.

But then when the French maintained a ban on British beef well after it is legal, that’s all OK then…

Cows eat grass right?, nope….the US feeds them skittles, Nothing at all wrong with doing that is there?, apart from the fact that cows are **** ruminants you thick bastards.

So a UK-US trade deal..
top of the us shopping list

Electronic equipment: US$332.9 billion (14.4% of total US imports)
Machines, engines, pumps: $329.3 billion (14.3%)
Vehicles: $283.8 billion (12.3%)
Oil: $201.2 billion (8.7%)
Pharmaceuticals: $86.1 billion (3.7%)
Medical, technical equipment: $78.3 billion (3.4%)
Furniture, lighting, signs: $61.2 billion (2.6%)
Gems, precious metals: $60.2 billion (2.6%)
Organic chemicals: $52.1 billion (2.3%)
Plastics: $50.2 billion (2.2%)

So we have a shot at Pharma and cars (so long as the UK stays making cars)
and strangely the export list shares a lot 🙂

Machines, engines, pumps: US$205.8 billion (13.7% of total exports)
Electronic equipment: $169.8 billion (11.3%)
Aircraft, spacecraft: $131.1 billion (8.7%)
Vehicles: $127.1 billion (8.4%)
Oil: $106.1 billion (7.1%)
Medical, technical equipment: $83.4 billion (5.5%)
Plastics: $60.3 billion (4%)
Gems, precious metals, coins: $58.7 billion (3.9%)
Pharmaceuticals: $47.3 billion (3.1%)
Organic chemicals: $38.8 billion (2.6%)