Classic snacks may have to be renamed under Labour’s EU reset deal (Image: -)
Classic “meaty” snacks, including roast beef Monster Munch, chicken and mushroom Pot Noodles and Smiths Bacon Fries, may have to be renamed under Labour’s EU reset deal, it has been revealed. These British favourites, which are actually vegetarian, could fall foul of proposed food labelling rules.
In a landmark move, the bloc has restricted food labelling for plant-based foods, meaning that 31 animal-associated words, including “chicken”, “beef” and “pork”, as well as terms like “breast” or “drumstick,” will be banned. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement last week, though it still requires the backing of the European Commission and the governments of the 27 member states to enter into force.
However, Sir Keir Starmer‘s deal on food standards – known as “dynamic alignment” in Brussels – means handing oversight of trade in food, plant and agricultural products back to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and effectively having no say over future regulations.
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Pot Noodle may have to remove the word ‘chicken’ under Starmer’s deal (Image: Getty)
It is understood that the UK Food Standards Agency has said that the UK would be “subject” to the new labelling rules unless UK-EU negotiators agree to exempt certain products, according to the Daily Mail. If the legislation is implemented, it could be enforced in Britain from 2027.
The new rules could put huge pressure on the UK’s £5.4billion-a-year savoury snack industry, with Walkers Smoky Bacon and Roast Chicken crisps also likely to be hit.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused the Labour Government of “slowly trying to slide back into Europe through the back door”.
“If people want to be able to say something has a meaty taste, what’s it got to do with these know-nothing bureaucrats? It’s absurd,” the former Tory leader added.
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused Labour of ‘slowly trying to slide back into Europe through the back door’ (Image: Getty)
“If we can’t even hold the line over a packet of Monster Munch or some Bacon Fries, what hope do we have over rejoining the Customs Union?” Mark Francois, Chairman of the European Research Group of Tory MPs said.
Meanwhile, Frank Furedi, executive director of the MCC Brussels think tank, said: “Brexit was about taking back control of British laws. Yet this weak Labour government seems ready to sign up to whatever rules Brussels invents next.
“The planned deal could force the UK to adopt new EU labelling requirements, imposing unnecessary costs on much-loved British brands. Laws affecting Britain should be decided in Westminster by elected MPs and not by Eurocrats in Brussels.”
The EU’s new rules do spare some common terms like “burger”, “sausage”, “nuggets” and seafood alternatives, meaning brands like La Vie’s Jambon can keep their current names.
The EU has given companies three years to exhaust stock and align with the new regulations. The technical details of the text will be finalised on Friday (March 13), after which the file will move to a vote in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council with ministers from all 27 member states and a final vote in the Parliament plenary.
