Rt Hon Sir Julian Smith KCB CBE, Member of Parliament for Skipton and Ripon, has formally written to the Chair of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products & the Environment (COT), Professor Alan Boobis, to seek clarification on the committee's work regarding lead contamination in the UK food chain.
This follows a recent investigation by the Financial Times which revealed that over 8,500 abandoned mines across the UK, including 412 within the Skipton and Ripon constituency, release toxic metals such as lead into the environment. These toxins can accumulate in waterways and soil, entering agricultural systems and potentially contaminating the food chain.
In the Financial Times report Professor Boobis, who is also an Emeritus Professor of Toxicology at Imperial College London, expressed concern, stating, “There is a potential problem from lead exposure, the scale of which is currently unclear.” He further emphasised the need for “an objective risk assessment of the entire food chain from farm to plate across the country.”
In response to these findings, Julian has requested further details from COT on their ongoing investigations into lead contamination and its impact on food safety.
You can read Julian’s full letter to Professor Boobis below.
