A BUREAUCRATIC blunder has put at risk the status of some of Scotland and Britain's most famous global food brands.

UK Ministers have failed to move to protect any British produce under the free trade deal that is close to being ratified between the European Union and Canada.

It means that Arbroath smokies, Scottish Farmed Salmon and Stornoway black pudding and the Cornish pasty and Cumberland sausages that enjoy EU protection, may be threatened by a wave of Canadian imitations, it has been claimed.

Details of the proposed EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement show that while there are a host of products from other EU nations that were to be protected from Edam in Holland and Roquefort cheese in France to Prosciutto ham in Italy and Münchener Bier in Germany, there are no British products listed.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, confirmed that the UK would be examining ways in which protection for protected food name products might be achieved in Canada, but only after CETA comes into force. Scotch Whisky already enjoys protection in Canada under the existing EU-Canada wine and spirits agreement.

BIS would not comment on why it has taken till now to make such moves.

There have been previous concerns that there are similar issues with the sister deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the US.

CETA was agreed by EU and Canadian negotiators two years ago, but it is understood it will not become law until ratified by the Canadian Council of Ministers and the European Parliament which is expected later this year.

Under EU law, protected regional specialities, such as the Arbroath smokie, can only be sold under their traditional names if they were actually made in the region.

Around 60 British products are on the EU's protected status list of 1,100 foods including Scotch beef and Native Shetland wood.

There have been known issues in getting legal protection in the US, where immigrants, such as Cornish copper miners or Bavarian farmers, have taken European food traditions like the Cornish pasty and made them their own.

Social justice group Global Justice Now which is opposed to both trade agreements said there was still time for the government to take action.

"The Government has failed to protect any geographically listed British produce from competition in the trade deal soon to be ratified between the EU and Canada," it said. "The failure means that produce such as Cumberland sausages, Arbroath smokies, Cornish Pasties, Jersey royal potatoes and Yorkshire Wensleydale will be open to competition with Canadian imitations should the agreement come into effect.

"The treaty text shows that other European countries have managed to successfully obtain exemptions for geographically listed produce including feta and parmesan cheeses and German and Czech beer."

Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now said: “They don’t even appear to have tried to protect iconic produce from this country."

A government spokeswoman said: “The EU-Canada deal will have no impact on the status of protected UK food names in the EU market. Only UK producers adhering to the relevant requirements will be able to use iconic British names such as Arbroath Smokies or Stornoway Black Pudding."