EU-UK SPS Agreement: Food-related Standards Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Lord Krebs
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EU-UK SPS Agreement: Food-related Standards
Lord Krebs Excerpts(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Lord Krebs (CB)
My Lords, I would like to follow up on the point about precision breeding raised by other noble Lords. I seek clarification from the Minister about precision-bred products that are about to enter the approvals process with the Food Standards Agency. I am thinking, for example, of the vitamin D-enriched tomato developed by Professor Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, whereby one tomato contains the same amount of vitamin D as two eggs; we know that one in five children in this country suffer from vitamin D deficiency, so that could have significant health benefits. I understand from Professor Martin that this product is being submitted for approval in the near future. Can the Minister confirm that approvals will not be held up because of the SPS negotiations and that the Food Standards Agency will be free to approve the product if it deems it appropriate?
Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Lab)
My understanding is that it is business as usual and that will continue while the negotiations are going on. If I am wrong, I will write to the noble Lord.