Newcastle University academics fear that the UK's post-Brexit decision to join one of the world's largest free trade agreements could threaten public health.
The academics, writing in the British Medical Journal, said the Government should carry out an "health impact assessment" before signing the deal, which they said could lead to a weakening of food safety standards. Other impacts suggested include that the deal could see high medicine prices due to provisions and that it could compromise situations where the "precautionary principle" is used to make laws to protect public health - such as when it comes to regulation of alcohol and tobacco.
However, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has rebuffed concerns, claiming they are "dangerous and false".
