Foodlaw-Reading
Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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BRC News Item, 27 October 2023
Neil Johnston, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium has said that the proposed one-week strike by NIPSA members who work for the government veterinary service will hopefully have little immediate impact on consumers:
Consumers will notice very little impact on shop shelves in the short term as we are hopeful that movements through both red and green lanes of goods going into Northern Ireland will continue as normal. However, the possible significant impact of the strike on the agri food sector and the wider food supply chain is concerning.
Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, has a robust food supply chain. The agri food sector and our food retailers are important parts of that chain. The prospect of disruption is very concerning, however as recent years of Covid and the costs crunch have shown retailers are adept at dealing with disruptions and have contingency plans in place so they can minimise any potential short-term impact on supplies to customers and stores. They are monitoring developments closely.
Consumers and businesses have a high degree of trust in the quality and safety in the food they buy. They also have confidence about availability and continuity of supply.
Anything that undermines that trust and confidence is best avoided if at all possible.
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