FARMERS have hit out at a supermarket chain for selling packs of processed meat claiming to be produced in Scotland when the animals were actually reared in Europe or South America.

The National Farmers Union Scotland said the product, stocked by Aldi, was misleading customers and could be damaging to the Scottish meat industry.

The packs of beef and turkey bear the Saltire flag, the thistle emblem, the words "produced in Scotland" and the claim the product was "made in the Scottish Borders".

However, small print on the rear of the packs shows the beef and turkey comes from animals reared in Europe or South America.

Wendy Fleming, NFU Scotland Food Chain Relationships Manager, said consumers would be in for a shock if they bought the packs assuming they were from locally reared animals.

She said: "NFU Scotland is hugely disappointed to have received reports of some cooked products on Aldi's shelves taking advantage of iconic Scottish branding to mislead consumers into believing products are of Scottish origin when in fact they originate from the EU and South America.

"Scottish consumers are likely to recognise and support the Saltire flag and the thistle emblem and be happy to read that something is 'produced in Scotland'."

An Aldi spokesman said: "We felt it appropriate to include the Scottish flag as the two meats in question come through the Scottish supply chain and are processed for us in Kirkconnel. We never intended to mislead customers and apologise if this has caused confusion."