'Ham fisted!' Brussels leaves Brits 'scratching heads' by banning popular crisp flavour

The move, which appears to be an example of Remainers telling porkies, came despite pro-EU publications repeatedly stating any attempt to ban the flavour was part of a smear campaign.

The bloc’s bureaucrats will go back on its pre-Brexit pledge by phasing out the artificial smoke flavourings over the next two years.

A European Commission report even claimed each method of extracting the flavour could cause cancer.

However, snack giants have claimed there is no conclusive evidence to link the process to the disease.

Brussels controversially pushed the ban onto the farming sector in Ireland.

The flavour is popular on both sides of the Irish Sea, with the Emerald Isle’s farming sector potentially facing a £26billion hit.

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Ex-Tory Minister Kevin Foster told The Sun: “At a time when war is returning to Europe and serious economic challenges face us all, it is hard to believe anyone would think this ham-fisted move is a sensible one.

“This will leave many scratching their heads.”

Irish companies have privately warned about the potential impact of the move.

Kerry Group claimed the EU’s decision would cause “major economic harm” to the Irish food sector.

Edmond Scanlon, chief executive of Kerry Group, said it estimated up to 40 per cent of the ham and bacon sold in Ireland depended on the flavouring method.

Prominent Brexit campaigners, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, previously warned Brussels bureaucrats could also come after prawn cocktail crisps.

Research conducted by Perspectus Global found Bacon Frazzles were the seventh most popular savoury snack.

Perspectus Global spokesperson Ellie Glason said at the time: “Brits are a nation of crisp lovers, so we thought it would be interesting to see which brands and flavours we love the most.

“It’s great to see that while more modern snacks such as Pringles and Doritos are popular, we clearly still love many of our childhood favourites.”