Supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl has joined the bulk of the UK retail sector by dropping its long-standing commitment to only selling Scottish or British lamb on their shelves.

Despite the change, Aldi said ‘long-standing commitment to Scottish farmers' remains. Its core range of fresh everyday beef, pork, poultry, milk and eggs will continue to be Scotch, Specially Selected SSPCA Assured, Scottish Red Tractor or Lion Egg approved.

But now it says that whilst the majority of its lamb will continue to be Scottish sourced, in line with other retailers it will be following the seasonality of lamb between the hemispheres with New Zealand lamb on some lines during winter months.

It told The SF: "The addition of New Zealand lamb will ensure affordability for customers during the cost-of-living crisis and provide shoppers with quality lamb, all year-round." Lamb mince will remain 100% Scottish all year round, but leg steaks, half legs and lamb chops will include New Zealand lamb which will be clearly labelled with the flag to communicate the country of origin, it said.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “Aldi is a major supporter of Scottish farming and we have committed to invest an additional £3.5bn a year with UK suppliers, including Scottish farmers, by the end of 2025. This aims to support customers during the cost-of-living crisis by offering affordable and in-season lamb all year round. Scottish lamb will still be available at Aldi and the majority of lamb sold by Aldi Scotland will continue to be reared on Scottish farms.”

When the SF contacted Lidl a spokesperson said: "We are committed to supporting and championing local producers and are proud to source the very best Scottish food and drink, including Scotch lamb, which can be found in our Scottish stores throughout the year. Due to seasonal availability, demand, and strict quality specifications, we do stock some New Zealand lamb across all stores between January and June, alongside Scotch lamb."

The SF contacted all the other main supermarket chains for comment on their lamb sourcing policies.

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Morrisons said: "Our Scottish stores sell 100% Scottish Lamb over the counter.” It went on to explain that their prepack products don't specifically call out Scottish Lamb, although 70% of the lamb it bought was Scottish. The reason they say they we don't call it 'Scottish' is to protect availability across all stores over the course of the year.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are committed to sourcing British and work with over 5000 British farmers throughout the year to supply our ranges. This includes our Taste the Difference and organic lamb, which is 100% British year-round.

"There are times where we will source from New Zealand as well, so that we can continue to meet customer demand while offering the best possible value.”

A spokesperson from the Co-op said: “The Co-op is committed to supporting British agriculture, with all of our own-brand fresh and frozen meat being 100% British, including the meat used in ready meals, pies and sandwiches. Lamb is sourced from a number of farms across the UK, including Scotland.”