The key facts

  • Angela Eagle responded sharply to a question about 'meaty' names on vegetarian crisps
  • The issue concerns EU rules restricting 'meaty' names for plant-based products
  • The incident was described by The Independent and retold by Gazeta.Ru

What happened

UK Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Angela Eagle lost her temper when a journalist asked her to clarify her remarks about a possible ban on smoked bacon-flavoured crisps. This was reported by The Independent, which Gazeta.Ru cites..

The question and the minister's response

Times radio presenter Stig Abell asked the minister whether the term 'meaty' on the packaging of such, essentially vegetarian, snacks contradicts European Union law. He also reminded Eagle of the well-known myth about curved bananas — a claim by Brexit supporters that Brussels bureaucrats dictate the shape of bananas. According to Eagle, 'in fact, we had ordinary EU bananas,' and as for a ban on smoked bacon crisps, her interlocutor 'should start living differently and get his life in order.'

What it is about

The subject of the discussion was an EU law that partially restricts the use of 'meaty' names for vegetarian products. Such rules are aimed at protecting traditional livestock farming from unfair competition and at reducing confusion among consumers. The article ends with a reference to an earlier Gazeta.Ru report that the British Prime Minister accused Russia of interfering in Brexit; the connection between these two stories is not explained in the article itself.