Fears Over Pasty Quality

7 January 2015, 12:28 | Updated: 7 January 2015, 12:31

A South West Green MEP says she's concerned about the protected status of the Cornish Pasty if an EU trade deal with America goes ahead.

Molly Scott-Cato, Green MEP for the South West says she's worried what the Transatlantic Trade Deal would do to the food production industry in Cornwall.

Currently only pasties made in our region can carry its proper name as the product has Protected Geographical Indication status, which it's had since 2011.

But it’s claimed Brussels wouldn’t be able to keep those laws under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership currently being negotiated.

The deal, if it goes ahead, would open up markets on both sides of the Atlantic and make it easier for firms to export and import goods.

That means that companies in Canada and America could sell their own version of the Conrish Pasty, using lower quality ingredients.

Molly Scott-Cato says "Between 6 and 20% of the food industry in the South West is involved in the making of the Cornish Pasty…and at the moment to say it's a Cornish pasty, it has to be made in Cornwall."

But Daniel Rosario, a European Commission spokesman for trade, agriculture and rural development, said any trade deal would not threaten the existing produce markets. 

He said "The Commission is looking to ensure a better protection and a more effective enforcement of that protection for a selected number of EU products in the US market.

"There's no question at all of weakening the existing protection for recognised EU products on the EU market… We have not agreed - and we will not agree - to reduce the protection of our geographical indications in Europe, thus allowing the importation of products that infringe our intellectual property."