The truth about the British flag on food products has been revealed, and people aren't happy

You must have seen the Union Jack on a variety of food products from carrots to eggs to cakes and meat. You might have deduced that it must mean that the product is British and made and packed in the United Kingdom.

But turns out, according to a study by British Lion eggs, it is actually not true. And you are definitely not the only one who had a wrong impression about what the British flag on food actually means.

The truth about food with the Union Jack

The truth, according to Egg Info, is that despite having the British flag, food products might not necessarily contain only British ingredients but a shockingly large percentage of consumers are unaware of this.

The report stated that many people seek out products with the Union Jack mistakenly believing that they are supporting British famers and producers. People also assumed that the flag implies the product was locally sourced and of better quality.

Out of 2000 people surveyed, 42% felt misinformed after learning the truth, 28% felt annoyed and 21% were shocked.

Andrew Joret, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, is quoted as saying,

Unfortunately, it can appear misleading to learn that not all products with the flag include 100 per cent British ingredients.

It’s likely people buy these items to support the local economy and farmers as well as believing they generate fewer food miles.

The poll shows more needs to be done about educating shoppers on what food labels mean and to encourage food brands to use all British ingredients when so many of them are readily available here.

Necessity of clear labelling

The study sheds light on how much remains to be done in order to convey ingredient and sourcing information to consumers in a transparent manner.

Also, even though many of the people surveyed would like to consume more products by British producers, the latter have been losing business to imported items which are sold to customers who buy them under the mistaken belief that it is 100% British.

Sources used:

Egg info: Best of British