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The UK has ‘failed’ to confirm whether it will keep its ban on hormone-injected beef amid trade talks with Australia.
Under EU law, the use of growth hormones in beef production has been prohibited since 1989.
Australia trade deal
However, post-Brexit negotiations have sparked concerns that the UK will compromise on its animal welfare and food standards.
Reports say a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to provide a direct comment on hormone-injected beef four times.
According to The Independent, he said food imported into the country will have to adhere to requirements – but didn’t state specifically what they would be.
Hormone-injected beef
Last year, UK royal Prince Charles slammed the beef industry for its use of hormones and antibiotics.
The Prince of Wales made the comment in an interview with acclaimed novelist Margaret Atwood.
He said: “The reason I was drawn to organic farming was mounting concern about what I saw as the overuse of artificial chemicals and fertilizer made from fossil fuels, the overuse of antibiotics, the overuse of growth-promoting hormones in beef production etc.
“You have to remember that nature is not a monoculture, it is based on immense diversity. So all these things made me feel that it would end up in tears if it went too far, and that there would be no tomorrow.”
