SCOTLAND would be powerless to prevent future trade deals undercutting the country’s world-leading food and drink industry if it agreed to the Tory power-grab, the SNP has warned.

Reports emerged yesterday that US trade groups are keen to axe important food name protections which safeguard the reputation and quality of Scottish products such as Scotch Whisky, Scotch Beef and Lamb, and Stornoway Black Pudding.

They also want any trade deal signed between the US and UK to drop current EU requirements relating to the ageing of whisky, something that would allow US manufacturers to promote their rival, younger products as whisky.

The development comes amid the row over the transfer of devolved powers from Brussels to the UK after Brexit.

Theresa May’s government wants Westminster to hold onto 24 devolved powers for up to seven years to set common frameworks in areas such as food standards and labelling, GM crops and animal welfare in order to reach trade deals with countries such as the US and Australia.

Scottish ministers acknowledge the need for common frameworks but say these must be agreed with the Scottish Parliament, rather than imposed by UK ministers.

Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly raised the concern the UK Government may reduce animal welfare standards in order to do a trade deal with the US which has lower regulations on food safety and animal welfare. The lower animal welfare standards mean that chickens are crammed together before being slaughtered, requiring them to be washed in chlorine to kill bacteria which has spread.

Chlorine washed chicken is banned in the EU on safety grounds.

Emma Harper, the SNP MSP, said Scotland would be unable to prevent protections on food standards from being undercut if it signed up to the Tories’ power grab.

“The Tories think they can do what they want to Scotland and get away with it – but if they think they can push ahead with damaging trade deals with the US that undercut vital protections for our food and drink sector, then they are wrong,” she said.

“The power grab debate often appears quite technical – but issues like those raised [on protecting Scottish produce] shows why it is so important.

“By removing these powers from the Scottish Parliament, Scotland would be powerless to prevent future trade deals from undercutting our world leading rural industries – damaging jobs here in Scotland.

“Plans to drop standards on whisky, for example, would be potentially devastating for our many distilleries who have worked hard to build up their world-leading reputation.”

Discussions between the UK and US over what can and cannot be included in a potential trade deal are being conducted in secrecy, according to transparency campaigners. Last December, Greenpeace’s Unearthed investigations unit reported that the UK and the office of the US trade representative had signed an agreement that information, papers and discussions relating to the talks should be considered “sensitive” or “confidential”.

It also revealed the US would push the UK to accept GM foods and to do away with certain prohibitions on chemical flavourings.

Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, said: “The US Government don’t like our food standards, and they repeatedly tell us that abandoning these standards for imports is essential if they’re going to sign a deal.”

A spokeswoman for the Scotch Whisky Association told the Observer it would campaign for EU food standards to be applied to any trade deal with the US. According to EU legislation, whisky produced or sold in the EU is required to be matured for at least three years, and meet other well-established criteria.