Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bethell on 13 July (HL Deb, col 1701), what plans they have to consult scientists on folic fortification, following their consultations with the devolved administrations.
Answered by Lord Bethell
There are no current plans to further consult scientists on flour fortification. We are finalising agreement of a four-nation response to the United Kingdom-wide consultation on the proposed mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid which ran from 13 June to 9 September 2019. The next steps will be laid out in the Government’s response.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bethell on 13 July (HL Deb, col 1702), what are the stated "implications of the Northern Ireland Protocol" in respect of folic fortification, given that nutrition is a matter for EU member states.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Under the terms of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, European Union legislation will apply in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland. Regulation 1925/2006 on the Addition of Vitamins and Minerals to Foods is included the Northern Ireland Protocol. Consideration is therefore necessary in discussion with the devolved administrations to ensure the consultation response and any proposed fortification policy takes into account the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of local authority food hygiene inspections that have been carried out over the last (1) 12 months, (2) five years, and (3) 10 years.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Data for 2019/20, the most recent reporting period, is not yet available. Data for 2010/11 to 2018/19 in provided in the following table. Interventions include hygiene inspections and audits, verification and surveillance, sampling visits, advice and education and intelligence gathering.
The total number of interventions for the period 2015/16 to 2018/19 and for the period 2010/11 to 2018/19 are also shown.
Local authority food hygiene and other interventions - 2010/11 to 2018/19 | |||||
Year | England | Northern Ireland | Wales | Scotland | United Kingdom total |
2018/19 | 305,483 | 14,076 | 25,182 | 38,753 | 383,494 |
2017/18 | 306,419 | 16,037 | 27,892 | 41,715 | 392,063 |
2016/17 | 306,646 | 19,425 | 24,627 | 43,494 | 394,192 |
2015/16 | 318,461 | 16,325 | 25,203 | 44,562 | 404,551 |
2014/15 | 314,292 | 13,354* | 28,802 | 46,027 | 402,475 |
2013/14 | 319,072 | 19,681 | 30,689 | 41,635 | 411,077 |
2012/13 | 324,394 | 18,204 | 28,822 | 43,879 | 415,299 |
2011/12 | 327,677 | 19,989 | 30,139 | 45,001 | 422,806 |
2010/11 | 331,915 | 21,150 | 31,187 | 47,600 | 431,852 |
2015/16 to 2018/19 | 1,237,009 | 65,863 | 102,904 | 168,524 | 1,574,300 |
2010/11 to 2018/19 | 2,854,359 | 144,887 | 252,543 | 392,666 | 3,657,809 |
Note:
* Based on 9 months data for Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research conducted by the University of Southampton into foodborne pathogens and the effect of chlorine washing of salad products and meat, in particular the study Viable but nonculturable Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica Thompson induced by chlorine stress remain infectious, published on 18 April 2018.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised that it is aware of this research. The FSA’s view is that whilst it is plausible that viable but nonculturable cells could potentially cause foodborne disease, to date there is no documented evidence that demonstrates this occurs in the food chain. There remains a high level of uncertainty over the likelihood of occurrence and conditions that would be needed for this to happen but the FSA will continue to review the literature and monitor the latest developments on the topic.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many food establishments there are in England; and of those, how many have not been inspected by the relevant local authority on the latest date for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
At 31 March 2019 the number of registered or approved food establishments reported in England was 511,297 and the number of those not yet rated was 24,897.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to require food establishments in England to display the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme information that they are supplied with by local authorities.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Food businesses covered by the scheme are provided with stickers showing their rating. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland are already required by law to display the stickers at their premises, while those in England are encouraged to do so.
The FSA considers that mandatory display should extend to England and is finalising an evidence-based case for a statutory scheme which will be submitted for ministerial consideration and ultimately cross-Government approval.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many submissions were received to the Proposal to add folic acid to flour consultation document by the closing date; and when they expect to publish a response.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The folic acid fortification consultation closed on 9 September 2019 and we received 1,442 responses. A post-consultation update is also available on the consultation webpage online only.
We are currently in the process of analysing the consultation responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have carried out on the food safety effects of chlorine washing of (1) salad, and (2) meat, products.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that chlorine washes can be used on fresh produce, including salad, but are legally not permitted on products of animal origin or meat.
Past research commissioned by the FSA includes Reducing Campylobacter cross-contamination during poultry processing. The researchers tested some substances, including, chlorine dioxide, and compared their effect with steam treatment. The results indicated that none of the treatments eliminated Campylobacter entirely. The FSA is continuing to review the literature and monitor the latest developments on the topic. A copy of the report is attached.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen on 1 March (HL deb, col 789), what was the outcome of the review by the Committee on Toxicity of maximum intakes of folic acid.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
At its April 2018 meeting, the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer products and the Environment (COT) considered a scoping paper on the current Tolerable Upper Level (TUL) of intake recommended for folic acid and the implications of the recently published paper Public health failure in the prevention of neural tube defects: time to abandon the tolerable upper intake level of folate by Wald et al. A copy is attached.
As the scientific database on the effects of folic acid is extensive and the science in several areas has developed significantly since the TUL was last considered in the early 2000s, the COT agreed that the basis of the current TUL for folic acid should be examined. The first detailed discussion paper will be considered at the next COT meeting in July 2018.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the take-up of advice given on National Health Service websites about preventing pregnancies affected by neural tube defects is monitored.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
There are no mechanisms in place for routine monitoring of the take-up of advice given on the NHS Choices website about preventing pregnancies affected by neural tube defects.