Tesco and other supermarkets using fake farm brands spark complaint from NFU

The NFU claimed the fictitious brands misled consumers as it made them believe they were buying products farmed in the UK

The NFU singled out Tesco and its seven made-up farm brands, which launched earlier this year. (Getty)

UK supermarkets have come under fire after the farmers’ union lodged an official complaint over the misleading use of farm names.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) formally complained to Trading Standards over the use of fake farm branding by supermarkets on some food products.

It singled out Tesco and its seven made-up farm brands, which launched earlier this year.

The NFU claimed the fictitious brands misled consumers as it made them believe they were buying products farmed in the UK.

Three in five people who said they believed such products were “definitely” or “probably” British admitted that they would feel misled if they were informed that it came from overseas, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the NFU.

In March, Tesco, the largest supermarket chain in the UK, was criticised for its new range of farm food as it was revealed all the farms named on the packaging were entirely made up.

Willow Farms whole chicken, Boswell Farms diced beef and Rosedene Farms blueberries were all found to come from manufacturers with no relation to the names on the packaging of the final product. Some of the foods were imported from overseas and given British names to make them sound local.

Meurig Raymond, NFU president, said the union is asking the Trading Standards Institute to look at whether fake farm branding complies with relevant legal requirements.

“I have spoken to senior management at Tesco to highlight our members’ concerns about the use of these fake farm brands,” Raymond said.

“I urge all retailers to consider seriously the results of our survey which show that mixing imported product with British product under the same fictional farm name can be misleading to many of their customers,” he added.

Raymond praised Aldi for its commitment to source its “fake” farm brand produce only from the UK by the end of March next year.

Stephen James NFU Cymru president called the practice “unacceptable” and said “enough is enough”.

The union has called for clear guidelines for supermarkets on labelling the country of origin of their products.

Tesco has defended the brands, saying its customers were well aware that the supermarket was so big it could not possibly source all its products from individual farms.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “Over the last 18 months we have been simplifying our ranges, launched Brand Guarantee and improved customer service.

“However, we know customers want the convenience of getting all their shopping in one place.

“These seven new brands, which are exclusive to Tesco, address our customers’ needs for quality fresh food, at very competitive prices in a single shop.”

Despite the controversy Tesco has attributed its second straight quarter of sales growth in part to its fresh “farm food” range, which has proved popular with shoppers even though the products are named after farms that do not exist.

“Our new fresh food brands are performing very well, with over two-thirds of our customers having bought products from the new range,” chief executive Dave Lewis said in a statement accompanying the results.

By June, two-thirds of Tesco’s customers had tried the range, in line with Tesco’s expectation.