The UK's National Farmers Union has criticised Tesco's decision to use a number of fictional farm names on a new range of own-brand products.
In a blog post on the NFU website, Phil Bicknell, the NFU's Head of Food and Farming, said that the names of the farms used by the retailer "don’t have any link to where the product has been sourced from, something that has the potential to confuse or even mislead customers."
Last week, Tesco launched the new range, which featured seven different farm brands, including Redmere Farms for vegetables and Boswell Farms for beef.
"Time will tell how shoppers react, but I can’t help thinking that a fabricated brand that implies a degree of provenance could be viewed by some as misleading," said Bicknell.
"In order for customers to not be misled by this new branding it is vital that Tesco ensure that the origin - varied across the products - is extremely clear to customers. This should include flags and large Red Tractor logos."
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. .
