Scottish farming’s flagship products Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb will not be recognised in trade deals with Japan and Canada.

The UK failed to register any protected names, also known as geographic indicators (GIs), in the EU trade deal with Canada, and only three UK products are to be protected in the Japanese trade deal: Scottish farmed salmon, West Country farmhouse Cheddar cheese and White/Blue Stilton cheese.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for putting forward protected food names (PFNs) or GIs to be included in trade deals.

“I am really disappointed that all our protected food names have not been included. This will have a significant impact on those products that are exported and those who wish to export in the future,” said Matthew O’Callaghan, chair of the UK Protected Food Names Association.

“I am surprised that we were not consulted in advance and that all our protected food names were not to be included. You would have thought that Defra would have been only too keen to promote British food heritage in these agreements.

“Scotch Beef and Lamb are one of the flagships of UK PFNs, as they are a guarantee of quality and provenance and deservedly have a worldwide reputation, which needs both protection and promotion.”

Laurent Vernet, Quality Meat Scotland head of marketing, said: “Clearly it is disappointing and perplexing that globally acclaimed brands such as Scotch Lamb and Scotch Beef appear to have been omitted from the lists of GI products to be protected in the EU trade deal negotiations.

“The inclusion of Scotch Beef in the EU-Mexico trade deal is to be welcomed.

“However, it is difficult to understand the rationale for the apparent failure to include Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb with the other UK GI products selected for protection in the EU-Japan trade deal.

“We would welcome a more open flow of communication and consultation on the selection of GI products as part of the trade agreement negotiation process.

“QMS recognises the importance of working closely with DEFRA and other government organisations to develop overseas market opportunities for the benefit of the Scottish and wider UK red meat industry.”

Defra is putting Scotch Beef but not Scotch Lamb forward for protection in the EU-Mexico free-trade agreement. Mexico does not import much beef, but does buy in a lot of lamb.

The EU-Canadian deal includes 183 protected food names, like Parma ham or Gorgonzola cheese, from 14 different countries. Scotch whiskey already had official Canadian recognition prior to the trade deal. Meanwhile, the Japanese trade deal lists 71 European protected food names from across Europe.

A Defra spokesperson said: “The UK Government works closely with producers under the GI scheme to understand their current export markets and future expansion ambitions and fully supports suitable GIs for protection in trade deals.”

Comment

Post-Brexit these deals are likely to have a significant impact on the UK trading relationship. Furthermore, brands like Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb are likely to continue. Official recognition of PFNs in trade deals gives a legal definition to products and greatly boosts a brand promotion opportunity.