Christmas dinner classics such as pigs in blanket and cheese could be off the menu this year as new Brexit rules threaten to disrupt trade.
Reports in The Grocer suggest businesses across the food supply chain are ill-prepared for significant disruption in the holiday trading period.
The Border Target Operating Model will bring a new round of controls on goods from the EU from 31 October 2023, with consignments carrying goods considered medium or high risk, such as some meat, dairy and fish, requiring vet-signed export health certificates.
More than a third of businesses canvassed in a new survey said they were not aware of the new rules and timeframes proposed by the government, which has sparked concern among industry experts.
“It is deeply worrying that well over a third of these food producing businesses supplying into the UK are not aware that these significant changes are looming,” said Cold Chain Federation CEO Shane Brennan.
“Communications from UK government to these businesses has not been good enough and it is the food retailers, hospitality businesses and consumers here in the UK who will pay the price with disruption, delays, and losses.”
There are concerns among traders that the lack of awareness could result in delays in deliveries or shortages of foods like pigs in blankets.
Meats including chicken, pork and beef, as well as cheese, are some of the UK’s top imports from the EU, Q1 2023 data from the Food & Drink Federation shows.
Companies have also warned of the risks to imports of eggs, particularly liquid eggs that are vital for baking and other types of food manufacturing.
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