Shoppers are demanding to see more meat from British farms for sale in supermarkets after the horsemeat scandal, a poll suggests.

Consumers want to see more produce from British farms for sale in supermarkets after their confidence was shaken by the horsemeat scandal.

New research reveals that more than three-quarters (77%) of shoppers agree supermarkets should sell more food from British farms, FarmingUK reports.

Over 82% of shoppers are more likely to buy traceable food that is produced on British farms, according to the research by One Poll.

Shoppers are reported to be suspicious about all meat sold in supermarkets after the well-publicised discovery of horsemeat – potentially laced with elements not fit for human consumption – in various ready meals and frozen meat products.

Farming groups have said the scandal is partly a result of the pressure from supermarkets to drive a hard bargain which has suffocated supply chains.

"The squeezing of their suppliers’ margins and the relentless search for profit through buying cheaper product is the reason horsemeat is in their products," said the National Beef Association (NBA).

Supermarket own-brand economy burgers "are funded by the exploitation of the consumer and the supplier", the trade group added.

Meanwhile hardworking British farmers who have worked hard to develop trustworthy products are said to be "furious" about the turn of events.

National Farmers' Union (NFU) deputy president Stephen James said honest farmers have spent many years in establishing traceability through initiatives such as the Red Tractor scheme which are "fundamental" to consumer confidence.

And the NFU president also called for changes to food labelling, with the One Poll survey having revealed that more than half (57%) of consumers feel that food origin information is either confusing or very confusing.

There may soon be more produce available from British farms to buy in supermarkets across the country as a major shift takes place in consumer culture, the NBA suggests.

It describes Britain's cheap food culture of recent decades as "outdated" and believes farmers will soon be as important to consumers as the huge stores that sell their products.

Jonathan Bastable, a consultant in Strutt & Parker’s Newbury office who is also a partner in a family farm and butchery business, said: “Shoppers’ decisions regarding produce are driven firstly by affordability and then by whether an item has provenance. The vast majority of food is bought on the basis of the family budget and therefore traceability is a luxury many cannot afford to consider.

“However, for those who are in a position to pay a premium the ‘local’ tag is important and automatically suggests an element of traceability. For the most affluent, or those wishing to be highly selective, great consideration is given to provenance even down to the farm/breed.

“In a nutshell, shoppers do want traceability but they also want/need cheap food which leads to mass production and the dangers and weaknesses this entails, hence the horsemeat scandal.”