Brexit Is coming - No need to stockpile food says Scottish Government

16th October 2019

The UK may be leaving the European Union on 31 October.

Brexit may have an effect on the way you live in Scotland.

This may include changes to food and drink supplies.

Brexit has not happened, and many of the details are not yet known or are regularly changing.

Food supplies
While much of the food and drink we have in Scotland is produced within Scotland and the UK, some of it gets imported into the UK from other countries in the EU and beyond.

The Scottish Government is working closely with retailers, the food industry and others across the supply chain to make sure any disruption to the supply of food and drink will be kept to a minimum.

Stockpiling
You may feel that you need to 'stockpile' food, so you have enough to feed you and your family after Brexit. You do not need to do this.

We do not expect any overall shortages of food. Retailers have been building food supplies to ensure there's an adequate food supply across the UK in the event of a 'no deal' situation.

There may be less choice for a while, however. Fresh foods with a short life - like vegetables and fruit - will be affected most, especially if they are not 'in season' in the UK in October. This means most fruit and vegetables will come into the UK from other countries.

As we move into spring and summer, the UK will be able to grow more of its own fruit and vegetables and these shortages should stop.

Any food coming into the UK from outside of Europe shouldn't be affected by Brexit. It may take a little while longer to get into the country because of delays at ports, but there will be no change other than that.

For more information and details go to https://www.mygov.scot/brexit-food/