Ayrshire New Potatoes to be protected by EU

Ayrshire New Potatoes becomes the 73rd UK product to be protected by the EU's PGI scheme
Ayrshire New Potatoes becomes the 73rd UK product to be protected by the EU's PGI scheme

The European Union has approved a new geographical indication from the UK - Ayrshire New Potatoes.

The new listing makes it the 73rd British food product registered as part of the EU's Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

The food scheme covers regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed.

The newly protected product is planted, grown and harvested in Ayrshire, southwest Scotland.

The county has been at the heart of the British potato industry since the cultivation of the crop was first reported in Scotland in a commercial basis in 1793.

Due to light sandy soil and early warming by the Gulf Stream, farms in Ayrshire have always been able to plant their crop a few weeks earlier than in other parts of Scotland.

The new denomination will be added to the list of 1,450 products already protected.

Some UK protected foods include Stilton Blue cheese, Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, Cornish clotted cream, Scottish wild salmon and Gloucestershire old spots pork.

However, traditional British produce protected by the EU's protected food name scheme could be at risk when the country leaves the EU.

It has led the Welsh red meat industry to urge the creation of a UK-equivalent scheme which recognises British produce.