Farmers face jail in tough new EU food laws

FARMERS and food retailers could be jailed or have their business shut down under tough new EU legislation aimed at boosting consumer confidence in the food industry.

A complete revamp of the EU’s food safety laws to be announced this week will, for the first time, include criminal penalties for a wide range of offences.

These include trying to sell food with banned or unsafe levels of additives, hormones or pesticides; failing to notify contagious animal or shellfish diseases; slaughtering animals for meat without official inspection and causing cruelty to animals, including during transport.