Warning issued for UK households buying potatoes or chicken from M&S and Tesco
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
UK supermarket shoppers have been alerted about purchasing "chicken and potatoes" from some of the nation's leading retailers. Critics claim that Britain is producing less of its own food than ever, from chicken to spuds, putting the country's self-reliance in jeopardy, with some believing it is potentially bringing us potentially closer to rationing.
"The party's over - that's gone. We're in a new era now," Professor Tim Lang of City, University of London, who also introduced the term "food miles", said.
"The public is in a complete fantasy world of just thinking Tesco will always deliver," he said. Marks and Spencer is selling spuds imported from Israel and Egypt, to fill in the gaps, while waiting for the new British crop to come through, according to a report in The Times.
Tesco, on the other hand, is sourcing spring onions from Egypt and Senegal and offering chicken and sweetcorn sandwiches with non-UK sourced chicken. According to Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, domestic poultry production is functioning at "60 to 65 per cent... probably closer to 60 per cent at the moment.
"The vast majority [of supermarkets] are being absolutely duplicitous and the moment they think that poultry becomes invisible - in ready meals or sandwiches - they are importing it from Poland, Brazil or Thailand," declared Tom Bradshaw, president of the NFU, reports Birmingham Live.
"We're not even self-sufficient in potatoes," lamented Prof Tim Lang. "We're importing them from Egypt, for God's sake, which is drought-stressed. Look at where we get so much of our veg: Murcia, in southeast Spain. It is water-stressed. It is bonkers.
"Ten years ago, we were growing about 120,000 hectares of potatoes in this country. We're now down to less than 100,000, so we've had nearly a 20 per cent decline," remarked another farmer.
"The fundamental problem we've got in Britain with agriculture and food production is we don't incentivise farmers to grow food," Prof Lang decried. "They're growing for commodities."
Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Find out what's happening near you
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
8 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Government advises against all travel to Israel amid Iran conflict
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated travel advice on Sunday to advise 'against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories'. David Lammy has said that the safety of British nationals 'remains our top priority'. The UK now advises against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. My message to British nationals there is clear – your safety remains our top priority. Follow our travel advice for the latest updates: — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 15, 2025 Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire overnight, after Sir Keir Starmer said that the UK was sending more RAF jets to the region amid the increasing hostilities. The FCDO website warns that 'travel insurance could be invalidated' if people travel against the advice, and described the current status as a 'fast-moving situation that poses significant risks'. Earlier on Sunday, Rachel Reeves said that sending more jets to the region 'does not mean' the UK is at war. Additional refuelling aircraft have been deployed from UK bases and more fast Typhoon jets will be sent over, it is understood. The Chancellor also indicated that the UK could 'potentially' support Israel, but declined to comment on 'what might happen in the future'. Asked whether the announcement from the Prime Minister means the UK is at war, Ms Reeves told Sky News: 'No, it does not mean that we are at war. 'And we have not been involved in these strikes or this conflict, but we do have important assets in the region and it is right that we send jets to protect them and that's what we've done. 'It's a precautionary move.' Oil prices surged surged on Friday after Israel's initial strikes against Iran's nuclear programme, sparking fears of increasing prices in the UK. The Chancellor told the BBC that there is 'no complacency' from the Treasury on the issue and 'we're obviously, monitoring this very closely as a government'. Sir Keir has declined to rule out the possibility of intervening in the conflict entirely, and the Chancellor indicated on Sunday that the UK could 'potentially' support Israel in the future. Britain last announced it had deployed fighter jets in the region in last year, when the Government said British aircraft had played a part in efforts to prevent further escalation. Asked whether the UK would come to Israel's aid if asked, the Chancellor told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: 'We have, in the past, supported Israel when there have been missiles coming in. 'I'm not going to comment on what might happen in the future, but so far, we haven't been involved, and we're sending in assets to both protect ourselves and also potentially to support our allies.' Pushed again on whether the UK would deploy assets in support of Israel if asked, she said: 'What we've done in the past (…) is help protect Israel from incoming strikes. 'So a defensive activity.' She added: 'I'm not going to rule anything out at this stage (…) it's a fast moving situation, a very volatile situation.' It comes after Iranian state media said Tehran had warned it would target US, UK and French bases in the region if the countries help Israel thwart Iran's strikes, according to reports on Saturday. Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride has backed the Government's decision to send further RAF jets to the region, telling the BBC it is the 'right thing' to do. He told the BBC: 'We've got assets out there in the UAE, Oman, Cyprus, they need to be protected given that Iran has suggested they may be under threat.'
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
McDonald's launching five new menu items in DAYS – including returning favourite and ‘iconic' burger
MCDONALD'S is set to launch five new menu items in just days – including the return of a fan favourite. The Big Arch will make its debut on the fast-food chain's menu on June 18, with four other items expected to be added. 5 5 Halloumi Fries, which first launched in 2022, will make its long-awaited return to the menu later this month. Fans of the popular chain will also be excited to hear that the Toffee Crisp McFlurry, Cheesy McCrispy and Toffee Apple Pie will be returning. McDonald's new Big Arch burger will cost £7.99 or £9.99 for a medium meal. Costing just £2.39, the Toffee Crisp McFlurry is set to be a fan favourite. The Cheesy McCrispy costs £6.69 on its own or £8.49 for a medium meal. Halloumi Fries will set back customers just £2.99, while a larger sharebox costs £7.59. Both come with sweet chilli dip sauce. Sweet treat lovers will be delighted to hear that the Toffee Apple Pie, featuring crispy pastry filled with rich toffee sauce, will be scanning for just £2.09. The Katsu Wraps, which come with grilled or crispy chicken and launched for the first time in January, are also staying on menus from June 18. Shoppers can pick up the wrap for £3.49 by itself or £2.29 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Customers can also pick it up as part of a medium meal for £5.29. It's worth bearing in mind, prices for all the menu items may vary from restaurant to restaurant. We have asked McDonald's for calorie information for all the new menu items and will update this story when we have heard back. Full list of new menu items Big Arch - £7.99 Big Arch medium meal - £9.99 Big Arch large meal - £10.79 Cheesy McCrispy - £6.69 Cheesy McCrispy medium meal - £8.49 Cheesy McCrispy large meal - £9.29 Toffee Crisp McFlurry - £2.39 Halloumi Fries (four-piece) - £2.99 Halloumi Fries Sharebox - £7.59 Toffee Apple Pie - £2.09 These are the four items coming off menus on June 17: Cheesy Garlic Bread Dippers Lotus Biscoff McFlurry Steakhouse Stack McSpicy® x Frank's RedHot The update from McDonald's today comes after the fast food chain had customers fuming over a discontinued item. It confirmed it axed its Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap from menus in May as part of a "rotation" of its wrap offering. The wrap, which combined chicken breast strips, crispy onions, rashers of bacon and lettuce, was first launched in summer 2023. How to save money at McDonald's Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other. You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald's receipts. The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey. You'll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer. There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald's app, so it's worth signing up to get money off your meals. The MyMcDonald's app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up. You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you're a My McDonald's app user.
Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Bayern Munich star makes feelings clear on Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz
Joshua Kimmich pulled no punches when asked about Bayern Munich's transfer needs this summer after Florian Wirtz chose to join Liverpool instead of Bundesliga champions Joshua Kimmich has claimed Bayern Munich are now light in attack after the club lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Germany star Florian Wirtz. And midfielder Kimmich claimed he has been taken aback by Leroy Sane's decision to leave the Bundesliga champions for Galatasaray, while Thomas Muller's departure also hurts them in the final third. Bayern face Auckland City in their Group C opener at the controversial Club World Cup on Sunday afternoon and asked before the game about Wirtz, who is set to complete a British record switch to Anfield in the coming days, Kimmich pulled no punches. "You'll have to ask the club what their plans are," he said. "Of course, you have the feeling that we could do something – with Flo (Wirtz) not coming, with Leroy leaving, with Thomas leaving. 'I was surprised that (Sane) is going to Turkey. I didn't expect that. But it's his decision and he'll have his reasons for it.' Kimmich's comments follow sporting director Max Eberl admitting that the Bavarians would not have been able to match the fee paid by Liverpool for 'outstanding' Wirtz. But Eberl insisted there is a clear strategy in place this summer and the free agent arrivals of Tom Bischof and Jonathan Tah are a stride in the right direction. Eberl said: "I am sure that we will have a competitive team - and that we will also have the finances under control. If I'm honest, I don't know if we could have paid what Liverpool are apparently paying now. "Florian Wirtz is an outstanding player. We could have imagined signing him. But when a door closes, another opens. The focus is on the squad we have here. We've brought along some young players, and now we've added two Germany internationals in Tom Bischof and Jonathan Tah, who have come in on free transfers. That's already a big step. 'We have a clear plan on how we want to implement things. But there's still a lot to do. I'm certain we will have a very strong squad."
