Published: 9:06 AM December 21, 2018 Updated: 8:25 PM September 17, 2020

Hundreds of trucks wait their turn to enter the port of Dover on the M20 at Folkestone, Kent. Photograph: David Giles/PA. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

Whitehall officials are reportedly planning to tell Britons that they may need to change what they eat in case of a no-deal Brexit.

They expect that Britain crashing out of the European Union would lead to imported fresh food being cut off.

According to the Times, the government is currently preparing for what will happen to food supplies if we leave without a deal. It is also looking at large hangars for stockpiling food.

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It has identified areas in Scotland, Carlisle and Cumbria, as well as parts of the south coast to deal with the preparations.

Officials do not expect there would be a shortage in food overall - but there will be certain foods imported from the EU that would be difficult to access.

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This is in part because of the expected delays at ports.

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Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, told the Times: 'This illustrates the really grisly nature of a no-deal outcome. Quite simply, the British people would not forgive anyone responsible for it coming to pass.'

According to the Federation, 60% of Britain's food is produced at home but 40% is imported - and can be as high as 70% dependent on the season.

Best for Britain champion Layla Moran MP pointed out that this is a political choice and does not need to happen.

She said: 'This is all a political choice by the government and not an inevitability. We don't have go for no deal, the prime minister could rule that out at any point.

'And because Theresa May won't rule out no deal, than the more the government talk about this kind of stuff the more they look like they are trying to intimidate MPs into backing the prime minister's bad deal.'