Enviro secretary Angela Eagle dismisses query on smoky bacon crisps amid EU food rules talks

On Thursday, Environment Secretary Angela Eagle told a radio presenter he should "get a life" when he asked how new EU food rules might affect snacks such as smoky bacon crisps. The remark came as the UK government continues negotiations on a food standards deal aimed at lowering costs for British firms trading with Europe. Labour ministers have highlighted the potential economic boost the agreement could deliver, hoping to announce it at a summit later this month.

The deal would require Britain to adopt a wide range of EU food regulations, a move critics say could revive sovereignty debates that followed Brexit. The Conservatives and Reform UK have pledged to highlight examples where the UK appears to be a "rule taker" from Brussels. This is not the first dispute over the flavour, after a 2024 EU decision to phase out certain artificial smoke flavourings raised similar concerns.

The EU also plans to limit the use of 31 meat‑related terms, including bacon, drumstick and steak, to products that actually contain meat, arguing that plant‑based alternatives could mislead consumers. The European snack industry is seeking clarification on how these rules would apply to meat‑flavoured crisps, even those made without meat extracts. The UK government has said it expects the new regulations to fall within the scope of its proposed food standards deal, meaning they would affect companies marketing products in Britain, which analysts at Euromonitor say is one of the continent's biggest crisps markets.