If there is no deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union before the Britain leaves the block, UK consumers could go for weeks, or even months without some of their favourite fresh foods, warned UK’s food and drink lobby.

Since a large portion of the fresh produce is imported and the warehouses are completely full before the Christmas, therefore if the UK goes out of the UK without any transition agreement, it could be problematic, warned a number of UK retailers such as Tesco. The UK is expected to leave the UK on October 31.

Brexit is viewed as the biggest challenge for the UK since World War II, warned the industry that employs about 450,000 people. According to food and drink lobby of the country, the Brexit crisis is a far greater challenge than the 2013 horsemeat scandal and the 1980s and 1990s outbreak of the mad cow disease.

“We know there will be disruption at ports, and that will have knock-on effects,” Tim Rycroft, the Food and Drink Federation’s chief operating officer, told the media. “There will be shortages – [though] no one will starve; this won’t be like the war.”

In terms of food products, only about half id produced in the UK while the rest is imported. Concerns are now being expressed by retailers that those food items that have a short shell life could simply rot lying in the truck while they wait in long queues for long periods in getting through customs at the borders.

Anticipating the earlier deadline of Brexit which was on March 29, millions of pounds were spent by retailers in coordinating with their suppliers to stock up supplies of dried goods including pasta, bottled water and toilet paper.

However the terms and conditions of Brexit are not yet clear even after three years of negotiations both within the UK and with the EU. Analysts say there are multiple options still open which include a last minute deal, a postponement of Brexit or a no deal Brexit.

The dependence of the UK on imported food increases with winter approaching and a hard Brexit at Halloween would be more disruptive.

Rycroft said that by the beginning of November, about 60 per cent of its food is imported by Britain and that is the time that a no deal Brexit could cause delays and hold up at ports and motorways resulting in delay in delivery of the food products.

Rycroft earlier told Reuters News Agency that up to $100 million British pounds ($121m) a week could be the cost for the industry for preparing for a no-deal Brexit which would include reserving warehouse space, using alternative distributors and losing orders in congested ports.

While claiming that it was working hard ot support the industry, a government spokeswoman has told the media: “The UK will be leaving the EU on 31 October and our top priority is supporting consumers and businesses in their preparations for Brexit.”

(Adapted from AlJazeera.com)

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