Barclay: Union flag labels on our food risk seriously misleading consumers

Environment Secretary vows rule change to aid farmers

- Sam Stevenson

CONSUMERS could be being conned by the Union flag on supermarket shelves, says Environment Secretary Steve Barclay.

But leaving the EU has allowed the UK to better legislate against it, he told the Daily Express.

He is launching a consultation as the first step towards changing the rules, with the Government expected to "respond and bring forward proposals as soon as possible", a source told this newspaper.

Mr Barclay said: "As a result of Brexit we can have labelling that better recognises the quality of British produce. So the Union Jack is not stuck on things that haven't been produced in the UK, which is a key concern farmers have raised with me."

Risk

A survey of 2,000 Britons found respondents chose British produce to support local farmers.

But almost two-thirds of shoppers felt misled by supermarkets after learning that products with the British flag could also contain ingredients from outside the UK, the study for Lion Eggs found.