Screenshot of Morrisons Salt & Pepper Chicken Crown from their website
(Picture: Morrisons)Supermarket retailer Morrisons has apologised after suffering backlash over a product that was advertised as being made from “non-EU salt and pepper”.
The item in question was the supermarket’s roast in the bag £4 Salt & Pepper Chicken Crown, which was also marketed as “British”.
Customer Lee Williscroft-Ferris tweeted a picture of the packing and wrote directly to the supermarket: “Tell me @Morrisons that this is not real. Your response will dictate whether or not I ever shop at your stores again.”
Tell me @Morrisons that this is not real. Your response will dictate whether or not I ever shop at your stores again. pic.twitter.com/0RBvgHHM5L
— Lee Williscroft-Ferris (@MXOFO) November 1, 2021
Many others reshared the image and vowed that they would boycott the supermarket chain over the label, which some perceived as being anti-EU.
I’m done with shopping @Morrisons. I can live with union flags on bananas, but the gratuitous slight on the EU is too much.
— David Bright (@DGBright) November 1, 2021
Sometimes, you look at things and think 'this much be photoshopped'.
— Marco Hackingtackle (@hackingtackle) November 2, 2021
Then you realise that, no, @Morrisons really are putting blatant anti-EU propaganda on their packaging.
"Non-EU salt and pepper detected on the Gammon Aisle!" https://t.co/UYzzPgLX8c
Yep, me too.
— Gareth Thomas 💙 (@ProfGarethT) November 1, 2021
If this is genuine, @Morrisons will never see another penny of mine.
Let me tell you where you can stuff your chicken......
— Mike Qwertyco (@Qwertyco) November 1, 2021
As a frequent customer of @Morrisons I also would like to know if they want me to take my business elsewhere.
— WolfH (@mistakenotmy) November 1, 2021
@Morrisons Surely a parody? If not, prepare for the implications... https://t.co/PSEsv5F5hY
— Metropolitan (@Springjockify) November 2, 2021
Morrisons later responded to one of those tweets, describing the wording as “an error”. The chain also said they would be changing the packaging “immediately.”
Hi David, The wording on the packaging is an error for which we apologise. We are changing the packaging immediately -Thanks Mark
— Morrisons (@Morrisons) November 1, 2021
However, the issue sparked a debate, with some saying they didn’t see a problem and didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
Genuinely who cares https://t.co/ahk1X6NVKD
— L0gan (@yremogtnomnagol) November 2, 2021
Imagine being offended by this? 😂 https://t.co/sL3duXQhhF
— Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) November 2, 2021
Why are people so upset by this 🤔 https://t.co/sVTeMHC4ca
— Lin Mei (@linmeitalks) November 2, 2021
Brits triggered by salt and pepper.
— Lafe Long (@LafeLong) November 2, 2021
This timeline just keeps on giving. https://t.co/SuNOnbauRF
Didn’t realise so many people could be offended by a chicken 😂😂 https://t.co/9QnFtP4vdr
— Liam Houghton (@Liam_Houghton98) November 2, 2021
Jon Stone, Policy Correspondent at The Independent, provided an insightful thread as to why “non-EU salt and pepper” might be stipulated on the product.
Stone said: “The hysterical reaction to this is very funny – ‘non-EU’ is actually a stipulated wording in EU regulations for foods where there isn’t a single country of origin.
“But some people seem to think this chicken is some kind of anti-Brussels Brexit triumphalism,” he added.
The hysterical reaction to this is very funny - ‘non-EU’ is actually a stipulated wording in EU regulations for foods where there isn’t a single country of origin. But some people seem to think this chicken is some kind of anti-Brussels Brexit triumphalism https://t.co/4r7Llq0Cid https://t.co/fqRK9iUa7G
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
He continued by noting how EU labelling regulations were switched into UK law after Brexit and retailers have until October 2022 to change references to “non-EU” to “non-UK.”
A few things are going on here
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
- EU labelling regulations were more or less transposed into UK law after Brexit
- Retailers have until October 2022 to change references to ‘non-EU’ to ‘non-UK’
So why was the British flag included on the packaging? Stone says this is because the supermarket wanted to “make a virtue of the chicken being local” and therefore added the country of origin on the label.
But this also meant that they had to stipulate where the salt and pepper came from – and because they’re from different countries, “non-EU” is the “standard way to describe it,” Stone said.
- They clearly wanted to make a virtue of the chicken being local so put the country of origin labelling on the front, but that meant saying where the salt and pepper were from there. As they’re from different countries ‘non-EU’ is a standard way to describe it
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
Due to the big British flag, the salt and pepper origins also had to be displayed prominently too, so that customers are not misled.
- Why did they state the origin of the salt and pepper so prominently? Labelling guidelines say that if other things about the packaging are likely to mislead about the origin of a product (e.g. a massive flag) then it has to be stated prominently pic.twitter.com/KHTWFdVCCu
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
If this is the case, then why did Morrisons apologise and promise to change their packaging?
Stone guessed this maybe because they “probably realised they didn’t have to use the wording to refer to salt and pepper:
they probably realised they didn’t have to use the wording to refer to salt and pepper or I think even poultry if I’m interpreting that page right (also they’re banned from saying ‘non-EU from October 2022 and have to say ‘non-UK’ instead)
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
Also, perhaps, because the customer is always right – meaning they’re willing to change their product if they think they might lose customers.
So why did Morrisons say they made a mistake? Becuase you’re shouting at them and they want your business. It’s possible to redesign the label in a way that doesn’t enrage you. But it's not a plot to have a go at you
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) November 2, 2021
However, it’s not the first time supermarket food packaging has caused a heated Brexit debate.
Earlier this year, Sophia Collins tweeted her dismay at the Union Jack packaging for her butter she purchased from Morrisons.
“I don’t actually need my fridge to be a UKIP advert, thanks, Morrison’s,” she tweeted.
I don’t actually need my fridge to be a UKIP advert, thanks, Morrison’s pic.twitter.com/RPFIjP4hli
— Sophia Collins (@sophiacol) January 31, 2021
A Morrisons spokesperson told indy100: “Our chicken label is adhering to British packaging regulations, however we will be redesigning it to make it clear this is not a political commentary.’’
