Member of Parliament for Epping Forest and Shadow DEFRA Minister, Dr Neil Hudson MP, has welcomed Conservative plans to close the so-called ‘flag loophole’ in food labelling and strengthen support for British farmers.
Dr Hudson and the Conservative DEFRA team have consistently championed British farming and rural businesses. He has therefore welcomed proposals from the Conservative Party to reform food labelling laws so that consumers can clearly identify genuinely British produce and farmers can compete on a fair footing.
The issue has become increasingly urgent following the Government’s Family Farm and Family Business Tax and continuing uncertainty surrounding the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme. The lack of clarity around the scheme has left many agricultural businesses and farms facing significant uncertainty at a time when the sector needs support.
Under current rules, products can display the Union Jack flag or be marketed as British even when key ingredients are sourced overseas, provided that disclaimers are included elsewhere on the packaging. Critics argue that this is misleading for consumers and undermines the reputation and value of genuine British produce.
Under Conservative proposals, the Union Jack flag and “Made in the UK” claims would only be permitted where food is genuinely produced in the United Kingdom. Single ingredient products such as meat, eggs, dairy and fresh produce would need to be entirely born, raised, grown, slaughtered and processed in the UK in order to carry such claims.
For products containing multiple ingredients, the Conservatives would consult on a requirement that at least 90 % of ingredients must be sourced from the United Kingdom before national flags or “Made in” claims could be used.
The reforms would be introduced with a transition period of at least 24 months. This would allow businesses to adapt their packaging within existing redesign cycles, helping to minimise additional costs and reduce unnecessary waste.
The Conservatives have also stated that they would work with and encourage all devolved governments to adopt identical labelling standards so that the same clear rules apply across all four nations of the United Kingdom.
Dr Hudson has consistently reaffirmed his support for British farmers and the high standards under which they produce food. British agriculture operates under some of the strongest animal welfare, environmental and food safety rules in the world. These include bans on growth-promoting hormones, strict welfare requirements for livestock and robust environmental protections.
However, food produced overseas to lower standards can still enter the UK market and compete with domestic products. Farmers have warned that this creates unfair competition and risks undercutting British producers who are required to meet higher standards.
Dr Neil Hudson, Member of Parliament for Epping Forest, said:
“When customers pick up a product flying the Union Jack or labelled ‘Made in Britain’, they should be able to trust that it truly is British.
“At the moment, food grown overseas can be assembled or packaged in the UK and still carry British branding. That is misleading for consumers and unfair to our farmers.
“The Conservatives will close this flag loophole so that food origin labelling is clearer and more honest. That will help consumers support British farmers and ensure that when people choose British food, they know it has genuinely been grown and produced here.
“Our fantastic British farmers are essential to our food security and they farm to the highest standards. Clearer labelling will help more people choose British produce and back our farming communities.”
