Shropshire Star

Owen Paterson's US trip sees America open doors for British beef return

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson says he is confident British beef and lamb will soon be returning to menus in America after hailing a trip to the US a success.

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The North Shropshire MP flew to the US to persuade buyers that British meat is now safe and raise the issue with senior officials from the Obama administration.

He said America had agreed to open up a market for British beef. He also hopes the country will come up with its requirements for lamb by the end of the year.

The visit follows a move by US officials to reopen the American market to EU beef and other bovine products, following a ban put in place in the 1990s over concerns that BSE could infect the human food chain.

Mr Paterson also asked for British lamb to be allowed back into America, following a ban imposed in 1989.

The UK government said it hoped the ban could be lifted as part of an EU-US trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which is currently being negotiated.

Mr Paterson said: "There is a huge interest in doing more trade with America. The more we can do the better.

"We have got an American agreement to open up a market to beef. It is now up to us to come up with a certification scheme that satisfies them.

"On lamb, we have asked them to come up with their requirements, probably by the end of the year.

"There is not a huge American production, we know we can compete with the New Zealand lamb market."

Mr Paterson, who visited places such as Chicago, New York and Washington as part of his trip, said other issues discussed included disease and new technology.

He said it is important Britain produced more of its own food and doesn't rely on imports.

"We can't rely on cheap, safe food which is imported abroad. We have got to produce more food and use technology.

"Thirty per cent of food we eat is imported but it could be produced here."

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