LIVE TICKER
[Live wire]Connecting to the newsroom…
← Back to the news wire
Flesch Reading Ease: 30•350 words from the publisher
BusinessPublished by BBC Business • 11/6/2026, 5:19:38 PMOpen Original Report (BBC Business) ↗

Why smoky bacon crisps threaten to reignite rows over EU rules

The naming of smoky bacon-flavoured crisps has become the latest political headache to emerge from the government's bid for closer ties with the EU.

Why smoky bacon crisps threaten to reignite rows over EU rules
Image supplied by BBC Business.

Reported by BBC Business

The naming of smoky bacon-flavoured crisps has become the latest political headache to emerge from the government's bid for closer ties with the EU.

The government is negotiating a deal on food standards in a bid to cut costs for British companies trading with Europe.

Labour ministers have been keen to talk up the potential economic benefits of the agreement, which could be announced at a summit later this month.

More from the original report

But the deal's requirement for Britain to adopt EU food rules in a wide range of areas has threatened to reignite sovereignty debates from the Brexit era.

Labour ministers have been keen to sidestep talking about the impact of alignment in particular sectors, instead stressing the overall economic boost it expects the food deal to bring.

On Thursday, Environment Secretary Angela Eagle told a radio presenter he should "get a life" when he asked about the potential impact of the new rules on snacks, such as smoky bacon crisps.

But it highlights the political dangers for the government of realigning with regulations that British politicians have not been able to shape, with the Conservatives and Reform UK keen to pounce on cases showing Britain to be a "rule taker" from Brussels.

It is not the first regulatory skirmish over smoky bacon crisps - following previous headlines over how the well-loved British flavour could be affected by an EU decision in 2024 to phase out a number of artificial smoke flavourings.

Now, the flavour name itself has been called into question by a separate EU attempt to restrict how descriptions of meat are used to market food.

Under rules adopted this summer, the EU plans to restrict the use of 31 terms, including bacon, drumstick and steak, to products that contain meat, claiming consumers could be confused by plant-based alternatives using the same names.

The European snack industry is seeking clarity on how the rules, which will also cover terms such as pork, chicken and beef, would apply to meat-flavoured crisps, including those flavoured without the use of any meat extracts.

The UK government has said it expects the new regulations…

Original Source Attribution
Published via BBC Business • Source domain: bbc.com
Visit Original Source (BBC Business) ↗

Client & Community Discussion (0 Comments)

Share your benchmark feedback, workflow questions, or implementation notes below.

● Live Comments Open
Instant publication • Moderated for technical relevance