Marmalade labelling set to change under new UK-EU food deal
Jars of marmalade in British shops could soon feature updated labelling, with the traditional preserve potentially requiring the designation of 'citrus marmalade'. This comes as part of the UK government's planned food deal with the European Union, which seeks to re-adopt certain EU food regulations to facilitate trade and reduce administrative burdens for British exporters.
The impetus for this change is Brussels' decision to relax its long-standing labelling rules, expanding the legal definition of marmalade across Europe for the first time. Previously, only preserves made from citrus fruits could legally be sold as 'marmalade' in the UK, a rule influenced by British lobbying in the 1970s.
A UK government spokesperson has stated that British marmalade itself is 'not changing', and the product available in shops will remain the same. They emphasised that the EU deal would support businesses by eliminating costly red tape and ensuring UK manufacturers align with international standards to access a larger global market.
While the new EU rules, effective from June, will allow non-citrus spreads to be marketed as 'marmalade' in member states, citrus-based conserves will need to be differentiated as 'citrus marmalade'. This update was already earmarked for Northern Ireland under the 2023 Windsor Framework, and is now proposed for England, Wales, and Scotland as part of a wider agreement encompassing 76 updated EU food-related laws.
The exact timescale for these changes in Great Britain is yet to be confirmed. There remains some uncertainty regarding whether regulators will permit products such as 'strawberry marmalade' in British supermarkets, a concept previously assessed by Defra as potentially 'confusing for UK consumers'. Despite this, some manufacturers have already begun altering their labels to comply with the forthcoming regulations.
