[ben_w]

The UK isn’t suffering from food shortages. Not yet, anyway.

Allocation between rich and poor is an issue, but the net imports and production are enough to cause widespread obesity.

[oh_sigh]

There doesn't need to be a food shortage - the question is what percent of income do the poor spend on food, and would they spend less if they could?

[rsynnott]

Bear in mind that food poisoning isn’t free. It is not in society’s interest to have people off work sick, taking up medical capacity, and dying early. The advances in food safety over the 20th and 21st century was a great social good, and backsliding would be bad.

I do think that one problem, particularly in societies like the US where people don’t go to their GP very frequently, is that it’s pretty hard to measure impacts, because there’s little reliable data on mild (but economically impactful) cases.

[ben_w]

The question should be: would lowering food standards make any difference?

Specifically in this case, in order to do a trade deal with a different continent, so the increased costs of transport are relevant.

I’m also told supermarket prices are very different from wholesale (and therefore import) prices. If so I would therefore expect any cost change to alter profit margins rather than family shopping bills.