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Fri, 06 Nov 2026

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 Why smoky bacon crisps threaten to reignite rows over EU rules

A post-Brexit deal on food standards has raised questions over the future naming of the classic British snack.

* The UK government's bid for closer ties with the EU through a food standards deal has led to controversy over the naming of smoky bacon-flavoured crisps.
* The deal requires Britain to adopt EU food rules, which includes restrictions on the use of meat-related names such as "bacon" and "chicken".
* This could lead to crisps being relabelled or reformulated to comply with the new regulations.
* The EU's proposed rules aim to prevent confusion between plant-based products and traditional meat-based products, but have been criticized for being too restrictive.
* British snackmakers are calling for clarity on how the rules will apply in practice and are urging the government to work with industry to ensure UK interests are reflected in EU decision-making.