No Hormone Beef, Says UK Government After US Trade Deal
Despite a new tariff-free beef deal with the US, the UK government promises hormone-treated meat will remain banned and out of British markets.
The UK government has firmly denied that hormone-treated beef will enter British markets under a newly signed trade deal with the US, aimed at expanding beef exports in both directions.
Concerns were raised by farmers and consumers that the agreement—allowing up to 13,000 tonnes of US beef into the UK tariff-free—might open the floodgates to meat raised with growth hormones, a common practice in the US but banned in the UK since 1989.
Government officials were quick to reassure the public. “The rules on food standards have not changed and they will not change as a result of the deal,” said Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones. He emphasized that meat imports would still be subject to strict certification and border testing. Non-compliance would carry penalties.
Still, local producers remain uneasy. Ian McCubbine, a beef farmer from Surrey, voiced doubt over enforcement: “How do we know what they are putting in?” He and others worry that increased imports could undercut decades of UK efforts to raise beef sustainably and with high animal welfare standards.
While the US and other exporters argue that hormone use is safe, UK consumers continue to show skepticism. Many online said they would stick with domestically produced beef, looking for assurances such as the Red Tractor label or buying directly from trusted local butchers.
The wider agreement also lowers tariffs on UK car exports to the US and allows more US ethanol into the UK. Critics argue that border checks, already stretched thin, may struggle to keep up. Liz Webster of Save British Farming commented, “How we'll enforce standards is anyone's guess.”
Defra insists that any beef reaching UK shelves will have passed compliance checks and be free from hormone use—though how rigorously that promise will be upheld remains a point of public and industry debate.