Marmalade, a beloved staple of British breakfasts and a favorite of the iconic Paddington Bear, might soon undergo a significant label change to “citrus marmalade” due to Keir Starmer’s proposed Brexit ‘reset’.
Producers of fruit spreads and jams have been alerted that the UK government’s forthcoming food agreement with the European Union could necessitate this name alteration if it is implemented. This potential change arises from the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement currently being negotiated between the UK and the EU.
As part of this agreement, the UK would need to realign with certain European Union regulations. The government contends that this deal, which is integral to the Prime Minister’s efforts to foster closer relations with the EU bloc, aims to lower supermarket costs by eliminating trade barriers.
However, this initiative might also mean rebranding what is traditionally known as “marmalade” due to what some critics describe as “nonsense bureaucracy” from Brussels. Following Brexit, the EU revised its regulations to permit the term “marmalade” for spreads made from non-citrus fruits, adding complexity to the traditional definition.
But it has emerged that it could also require a re-labelling of what we refer to simply as ‘marmalade’, due to ‘nonsense bureaucracy’ from Brussels.
Since the UK left the EU, officials in Brussels have updated the bloc’s regulations to allow ‘marmalade’ to refer to spreads made from fruits other than citrus fruits.
This is because, in a number EU countries, ‘marmalade’ and ‘jam’ are used interchangeably to refer to spreads from a variety of fruits.
Prior to the 2024 rule change, Brussels allowed jars of spread to be sold as ‘marmalade’ only if they contained solely citrus fruit.
It’s loved by Paddington Bear and is a staple of the British breakfast table – but it may soon have to be known as ‘citrus marmalade’ thanks to Keir Starmer’s Brexit’reset’
Producers of fruit spreads have been warned the Prime Minister’s planned food deal with the EU will require a name change if the agreement goes ahead
Paddington Bear having tea with Queen Elizabeth II during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022
The basis of the original EU regulation is said to have been UK lobbying in the 1970s for a special commercial status for mamalade cut from bitter seville oranges.
It is this that has become synonymous with British breakfasts.
The EU directive on fruit jams, jellies and marmalades, which was updated in May 2024, states that jars should now be sold with the legal name ‘citrus marmalade’ to avoid confusing shoppers.
The revision also suggests labelling products as ‘orange marmalade’ or ‘lemon marmalade’, for example.
Senior Tory MP Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary whose Essex constituency is home to the Tiptree marmalade brand, said it showed how Labour’s EU ‘reset’ is ‘descending into farce’.
She told the Mail: ‘This marmalade madness is a classic example of the nonsense bureaucracy that emanates from Brussels.
‘Keir Starmer is trying to take us into the EU by the back door, signing us up to heaps of rules and regulations that will disrupt British businesses.
‘Rather than trying to reopen the battles of the Brexit years, Starmer should focus on fixing the mess he and his colleagues have made of running the country.’
Senior Tory MP Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary whose Essex constituency is home to the Tiptree marmalade brand, said it showed how Labour’s EU ‘reset’ is ‘descending into farce’
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently revealed that UK firms will have to adapt their product labelling to abide by the updated EU directive under the proposed SPS deal.
It is among 76 updated EU food rules that will apply in the UK if the SPS agreement is concluded.
DEFRA officials insisted UK manufacturers had already – or are preparing to – make changes to enable continued access to the EU market, regardless of the SPS deal.
They added the proposed agreement would make it easier for British-produced marmalade – as well as other classic breakfast items such as Cumberland sausages and Scottish smoked salmon – to be sold across the bloc.
A Whitehall source said the Government was ‘making a sovereign choice in the national interest’ to align with EU rules ‘in some areas where it makes sense to do so’.
‘The details remain subject to ongoing negotiations,’ they added. ‘The UK will have the ability to shape EU decision-making on areas within the scope of the agreement.’
Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria, which has hosted the World Marmalade Awards since 2005, told the BBC it plans to keep its competition reserved to citrus-based spreads, irrespective of whether the naming rules are relaxed in the UK.
Beatrice McCosh, director of the awards, said the competition aimed to set the bar for ‘rock solid British standard marmalade, the type which has been eaten for centuries from Elizabeth I to James Bond’.
