The UK government has moved to reassure the public that British marmalade will not be forced to change its name under a planned post-Brexit food deal with the European Union. Reports had suggested that aligning with EU rules would require citrus-based conserves to be labelled as 'citrus marmalade' rather than simply 'marmalade', sparking a political row.
The controversy began after the BBC reported that the UK was considering adopting EU naming regulations as part of a food trade agreement. Under current EU rules, all fruit conserves can be marketed as marmalade provided the fruit type is specified, such as 'citrus marmalade'. This differs from UK tradition, where the term is reserved for orange-based spreads.
Conservative former home secretary Priti Patel accused Labour of 'attacking the great British marmalade', while the Daily Mail dubbed it 'Starmer's breakfast reset'. However, the government insists that an exemption has been drafted allowing 'orange marmalade' as a compliant label, which is already standard on UK supermarket shelves.
A government spokesperson stated: 'British marmalade is not changing. There is no requirement for retailers or producers to relabel orange marmalade as citrus marmalade, and jars on UK shelves will remain exactly as they are today.' They added that the deal would cut red tape for exporters while preserving UK control over food rules.
The proposed rules were originally part of the Windsor agreement struck by the previous Conservative government in 2023, applying to Northern Ireland. Extending them to the whole UK would simply harmonise standards with the EU, a common practice in trade deals.
