An interesting twist on the UK’s so-called “Nanny State”? Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency sponsored by the Department of Health, has recently requested that supermarkets separate daffodils from areas where fruit and vegetables are sold.

It seems that “the bulbs are mistaken for onions, and the stems or leaves are mistaken for a type of vegetable popular in China”.

PHE sent out a letter asking supermarkets to take steps, stating “Such a move will, we hope, produce a separation in shoppers’ minds that will help to stop them thinking daffodils are edible”.

Read more in this article published by The Telegraph newspaper which also includes a link to the circular issued.

Credit: I discovered the initiative on the blog Overlawyered, where the author points out that a public information campaign might be more effective than protective measures.