UNISON and War on Want have launch a new film highlighting the threat to our food posed by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership being negotiated between the EU and the US.
As part of the deal, the EU wants to end port inspections of imported meat products: even when there are outbreaks of dangerous diseases such as BSE, e coli or salmonella.
The film – Death on a plate: TTIP, meat inspections and your food – can be found on YouTube and on the UNISON website at unison.org.uk/meat.
At the same time, the EU is planning to put an end to independent meat inspections in Britain and other European countries.
UNISON is “hugely concerned at the public health implications of ending independent meat inspections,” says national officer Paul Bell.
“Removing contamination from meat saves lives. Given the many instances of contaminated meat found by independent meat inspectors each year, we should be raising standards, not lowering them.”
The union is urging the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland – which has responsibility for the negotiations on changing the relevant EU regulation – to keep independent meat inspection in the new regulations.
