The Brief: EU food standards are no yolk

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The Dutch name for a slow news day is a “cucumber day”. But after this summer there is a strong case to rename it a “tainted egg day”.

At any other time of the year, the story would have passed almost unnoticed. But with little else going on, tainted eggs topped the menu every day.

Like all good scandals, it poached our attention and kept us waiting for more. Consumer blood boiled when we realised we may have been personally affected; intrigue took over as the scandal spread; and then our minds were scrambled as details emerged about Fipronil’s potential for liver damage and its effects on unborn babies.

In reality, of course, the dose was so low that even if you ate nothing but eggs you would probably die from the effects of high cholesterol long before the pesticide did you any harm.

But the response to the scandal was less about the dangers of the chemical itself than about the breach of trust that had occurred.

Europe is rightly proud of its food standards, which the Commission likes to flaunt as “the highest in the world”. So when these standards are cracked by criminals out to make a fast buck, it hurts.

The fact that Fipronil was also found in organic egg brands only made things worse. We like to know what we are eating, especially when shelling out extra cash. If we want to eat pesticides, we can. If we don’t want to, we shouldn’t have to.

Food is becoming increasingly central to the EU’s foreign trade policy. Deals like TTIP and CETA hinge on food, and the bloc is now breaking new ground in China with a bilateral deal on quality products.

This is broadly good news for the EU’s profit-starved farmers but it throws up a whole host of issues for consumers, beyond the headline-grabbing GMO labelling, chlorine chicken and hormone beef.

The fact is, as our food chain becomes increasingly globalised, it will also become harder to police.

The EU’s inspectors cannot be everywhere and, as the Fipronil scandal shows, a few bad eggs will always slip through the net.

If we have the highest standards in the world, by the Commission’s own logic, opening up new markets will expose EU consumers to new risks.

As they go head to head with their counterparts from countries like China and the US, the bloc’s trade negotiators must not sacrifice our standards for the promise of bigger producer profits or cheaper consumer prices.

We want to trust what we eat and we want to keep it that way.

The Roundup

Consumers could bully electricity providers into lowering prices, creating imbalances in supply. A new study criticises the Commission’s draft Electricity Directive.

China’s solar power capacity dwarfs Europe’s, making it the leading solar power.

The new uranium bank in Kazakhstan will shelter Europe from disruption in supply and is a “success” for multilateral cooperation on non-proliferation, the EU says.

Tobacco company losses from plain packaging are offset by health savings, making it a net economic gain. Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis has laid down an ultimatum on transparent alcohol labelling, but winemakers are resisting.

Europe’s milk production is up, but plan for a fat-free Christmas as the EU heads for a butter shortage by the end of the year.

Brexit poses “existential threats” to Irish beef, which risks flooding the EU market and depressing prices elsewhere.

McNuggets won’t taste the same: McDonald’s announced it will cut antibiotics from its supply chain, as EU launches antimicrobial resistance plan.

Digital Commissioner Mariya Gabriel opens her mandate by tackling fake news and Jean-Claude Juncker’s state of the union speech will focus on seeking bilateral agreements with a number of countries.

Opinion: Germany should take responsibility for the eurozone crisis, and Merkel’s fourth mandate is the time for a Eurozone budget and EU finance minister. Our interview with Transparency International.

Look out for…

The Political and Security Committee meets in Brussels, Ukraine and Iraq are on the agenda.

Views are the author’s

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