Buy British standard food, Defra head tells Cabinet

by James Hall - 22/06/2010

"All food served in the UK's hospitals, schools and prisons will have to conform to British farming and manufacturing standards under a major Government initiative to improve the nation's health and boost the struggling agricultural sector. "

Caroline Spelman, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has written to fellow Cabinet ministers telling them that all food procured and served by their departments must meet British standards, such as the Red Tractor or approved organic schemes, wherever it is bought from.

The requirement will soon be rolled out to the entire public sector, including schools and hospitals. An NHS Trust in Nottingham has already started sourcing all its meat locally.

Britain's wet summer leads to spike in winter food salesThe Government's new supermarket tsar will "have teeth" and is likely to be in place by the end of this year, added Ms Spelman.

The ombudsman will arbitrate disputes between big supermarkets and their suppliers. The minister has started talks with Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, on the creation of the ombudsman, which will sit under his department.

In a letter to all other Secretaries of State regarding food procurement, Ms Spelman wrote: "The Government is committed to ensuring that food procured by Government departments, and eventually the whole public sector, meets British standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs.

"The public sector spends £2bn on food procurement annually. This provides a powerful opportunity for the public sector to show leadership to support British food standards and provide food which is healthy, sustainable and ethically sourced."

A Defra spokesman said the move is not a "buy British" campaign because that would be against EU regulations. All procurement by Government departments must comply with procurement law which is designed to increase competition, prevent "buy national" policies and promote the free movement of goods and services throughout the EU. However the scheme – if it works – could boost British farming nonetheless because of its strict stipulations.

The scheme was initially mooted in the Coalition's policy document. "Food comes in from overseas but we want to see a level playing field so that it is produced to the high standards that we expect from our own farmers," said Ms Spelman.

A Defra insider said: "The issue is one of quality, not origin."

The move relates only to food that can be grown, reared or produced in the UK. Therefore items such as citrus fruit and bananas are exempt.

The Coalition believes it is unfair to impose regulations on food manufacturers while at the same time buying food at lower standards from elsewhere.

The exact standards that food must conform to depends on the commodity. Kite marks will include Quality Meat Scotland and the RSPCA's Freedom Food Scheme.

Ms Spelman said that ombudsman could be up and running by the end of the year: "It is something that is relatively easy to set up, and it is something that the Coalition would like to do early on," she said. Asked whether the ombudsman will have teeth, she replied: "Absolutely. That is why we are proposing introducing it."

More Details: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7840521/Buy-British-standard-food-Defra-head-tells-Cabinet.html