A new report from US environmental advocacy organisation, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) suggests that food safety in the meat industry in particular, could be negatively affected by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) due to the differing food safety standards between countries.
The report titled, Trade Matters: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – Impact on Food and Farming, states that such trade agreements allow for the harmonisation of safety standards, enabling countries with lower standards to export product into countries that have strict safety regulations.
Author of the report, international program director at Center for Food Safety, Debbie Barker says that in reality, such agreements effectively change a nation’s food safety standards.
“Many people don't know that these secret negotiations may undermine efforts on both sides of the Atlantic to protect our food, our health, and our environment,” says Barker. “Trade agreements, such as TTIP, profoundly impact our food and our farms. Education is the first step toward participation.”
The report used Australia’s adoption of a privatised meat inspection system as a prime example stating; “When Australia adopted a privatised meat inspection system that lowered standards, the US maintained the country’s “equivalency” status. This resulted in increasing incidents of Australian meat imports being contaminated with faecal material and digestive tract contents.”