Leading grocery industry figures are reportedly concerned about new EU food import measures which could result in shelf shortages and price spikes on some items.

From October 2023, new measures will be phased in for UK port authorities, including additional checks required for certain animal, plant and food products coming in from the EU.

The new measures were formed part of the Brexit deal ex-prime minister Boris Johnson struck with the bloc.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shared concerns with the Independent over disruption at key UK ports due to the additional post-Brexit rules.

“The main impact [of checks] could be on availability [of goods] if there is disruption at the ports,” Opie told the newspaper. “In the autumn, we increase imports of fresh produce from Europe that has a short shelf life, so it is imperative the system works well from day one to avoid impact on customers.”

According to sources, food sector chiefs have been forewarned that inspection fees at ports are set to rise between £23 and £43 for individual batches of goods, with one source telling the Independent that extra health certification paperwork could run into “hundreds of pounds” per lorry-load of produce.

Providing his views to the Independent, Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, anticipates that the “extra burden” of new paperwork could make it difficult for small and specialist importers to survive.

“What we’ll see is a decline in choice, because some of the smaller firms importing specialist products – bacon, ham, cheeses – that part of the business will fall by the wayside,” he said.

The concerns expressed by industry follows recent research from the Office of National Statistics showing that food inflation is at its highest in 45 years.

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