The number of British-made foods given protected name status across Europe would increase from 63 to more than 200 should the Conservatives win at next month's general election.
That's according to environment secretary Liz Truss, who also said that a new 'Great British Food' unit will be set up inside the government to lead this new PGI drive and ensure that UK branding is placed as standard on food produced for sale in shops across the country, as well as for export overseas.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Truss also pledged to help farmers by radically cutting back the inspections regime, with one new watchdog - which could be called 'OfFarm' - to coordinate inspectors’ visits.
She said: “We want to work with the food industry on a 25-year plan to get the skills into the industry, to get the British products marketed in a coherent way overseas, and also using that branding here in the UK.
“We are also going to have a concerted campaign to get more products with that special protected status.We know the products are out there. We have got more varieties of cheese than the French. But what they don’t have is that recognition.
“The French have already said they are worried about the Anglo Saxons taking over in terms of food. I want to make them more worried.”
Truss also promised in her interview with The Sunday Telegraph that the Conservatives would overhaul the farm inspections regime to ensure farmers deal with only one agency in future, in the same way that state schools are inspected by Ofsted.
The new body, which could become known as OfFarm, would end the need for separate inspection visits by the Environment Agency, the local council, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Rural Payments Agency, and Natural England.
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