Walkers to use real meat ingredients in crisps

Walkers are to introduce real meat flavours into their crisps in a bid to use 'authentic British ingredients', it was reported today.

The snack firm are trialling the use of real bacon in their smoky bacon crisps, as well as real chicken in their roast chicken flavour packets and cheese powder in their cheese and onion products.

The country's biggest crisps manufacturers are producing smoky bacon crisps which contain 'extracts of British pork certified ethical by the RSPCA', while their roast chicken flavour will use free-range chicken.

Real smoky bacon is one of the home-grown meat products Walkers will now use in its crisps …Salt and vinegar packets will contain Cheshire salt, while sour cream and chive crisps will use sour cream from Dorset.

The move has coincided with a crisis in confidence from many food shoppers as to the source of their meat products.

Walkers are one of many large food manufacturers who seem keen to reassure customers, and will launch ten flavours using home-grown British ingredients next month.

Acording to the Independent, some Walkers crisps were completely lacking in the food with which they were said to be flavoured.

But the firm revealed plans for the novel ingredients experiment by informing the Vegetarian Society that its crisps would soon contain 'extracts of real meat', having previously been safe for vegetarian consumption.

Some vegetarians have been angered by the move, and have urged likeminded people to contact Walkers to complain.

One vegetarian posted in an online forum: "Whether this is simply a publicity stunt planned by their marketing department to cause public outcry, or whether Walkers think this change in ingredients will increase their profits, I will certainly be contacting them to let them know how I feel, and urge you to do the same."