The government has appointed a minister to oversee the protection of food supplies through the Brexit process amid rising concerns about the effect of a no-deal departure from the European Union.
The MP David Rutley, a former Asda and PepsiCo executive, was handed the brief at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs earlier this month.
Defra said that Rutley, who once ran home shopping and e-commerce businesses at Asda, was merely taking on responsibilities already held by other ministers. He said: “It is an honour to join the Defra ministerial team at such an important time. I am determined to ensure that we fully realise the opportunities of leaving the EU.”
Food industry insiders welcomed his appointment after warnings that delays of only half an hour at UK ports and the Irish border would risk one in 10 British firms going bankrupt.
One food industry business leader said: “The issue at the ports is a big threat. The UK always has been a net importer of food. If the ports don’t work then exporters will be struggling and importers will have a challenge too.”
The executive said that while some food manufacturers were already setting aside additional supplies, stockpiling was not possible for products with a short shelf life, such as milk or vegetables.
Another industry insider said the appointment of Rutley was “totally welcome”. They added: “There has been a level of naivety that people can stockpile food which is completely impossible and shows a misunderstanding of how the supply chain works. We would welcome someone genuinely informed and engaged.”
Fears have risen amid the increasing likelihood of Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal in little more than six months time, after Theresa May failed to win support for her Brexit plan from European leaders and said both sides had reached an impasse.
Ministers have attempted to downplay concerns by suggesting they could relax efforts to collect border taxes to maintain the free movement of imports and exports in the event of no deal. However, food retailers have said such plans could still lead to a logjam on the UK side of the border as trucks get stuck trying to head back into the EU to pick up their next load.
Several major UK firms have warned of the risks from tougher border controls, including the retail chain Next. The short shelf life of food products, which could be rendered inedible by just a few hours’ delay, makes them particularly vulnerable.