“Nitrates” may make you think of school chemistry lessons or fertilisers. They’re probably less likely to be something you’d associate with dinner.

If you do think of nitrates in the context of food, it is probably a negative image that comes to mind – in particular, perhaps, the recent call for nitrate and nitrite preservatives to be banned from bacon and ham because of potential cancer-causing effects.

But the relationship between dietary nitrates/nitrites and health is a lot more nuanced than merely saying “they’re bad for us”. For example, the high natural nitrate content of beetroot juice has been credited with lowering blood pressure and enhancing exercise performance. Nitrates are also the active ingredient in some medications for angina, a condition in which reduced blood flow causes chest pain.

_ttp://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190311-what-are-nitrates-in-food-side-effects

The government has announced that most imports into the UK would not attract a tariff in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Under a temporary scheme 87% of imports by value would be eligible for zero-tariff access.

At the moment 80% of imports are tariff free.

Tariffs would be maintained to protect some industries, including agriculture. Beef, lamb, poultry and some dairy products would receive protection.

What are tariffs and how do they work?
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A tariff is a tax applied to goods that are traded on international markets.

In the great majority of cases, tariffs are applied to imported goods by the country importing them. But there can also be tariffs on exported goods.

How would the new system work?
The new tariff regime would mark a shift in favour of products from non-EU countries.