Smoky bacon flavored crisps and other snack varieties popular in the UK could face being banned from supermarket shelves as part of a new EU food and farming regulations reset. The potential ban stems from the UK's agreement to "dynamic alignment" with EU rules, meaning the UK will adopt future EU regulations with little to no say in their creation.
The deal, set to be signed at a UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20, aims to reduce post-Brexit red tape on British food exports to the continent. However, it raises concerns about the future of certain snack flavors.
This potential change comes as many nostalgic Britons mourn the disappearance of classic crisps from previous decades. Among them are Piglets, savory pig-shaped puffs popular in the 1980s, and Smiths Snaps Spicy Tomato, a zesty rectangular crisp first launched in 1979. Farmer Brown Crisps, animal and character-shaped potato puffs from the 1980s, and KP Outer Spacers, starship-shaped crisps from the late 1970s that later evolved into Space Raiders, are also remembered.
Other discontinued favorites include Smith's Chinese Quavers, a spicy beef-flavored cheese puff; Brannigans, known for its roast beef and mustard and smoked ham and pickle flavors, which were discontinued in 2020 despite a petition for their return; and Skips Sweetcorn Relish, a limited-edition tangy crisp launched in 1985.
Riley's crisps, founded in 1947 and known for unconventional flavors like Scampi & Lemon and New Potatoes with Mint, were phased out in the 1990s. Kung Fuey, a hollow, round crisp popular in the 1970s with flavors like bacon and mushroom, also disappeared due to changing consumer demands.
Hedgehog Crisps, first launched in 1981, were removed from shelves due to their misleading name and later returned as "Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps" before being discontinued in 1994. A particularly unusual limited edition was Walkers' Monster Munch Vanilla ice cream flavor in 2003. In the 1980s, ThunderCats crisps offered flavors like Crispy Bacon and smoky Bar-B-Cue, but faded with the end of the animated show's popularity. Tudor Crisps, established in 1947 and known for experimental flavors like hot dog and mustard, gammon and pineapple, and even chocolate, were discontinued in 2003.