Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the minutes of the Food Standards Agency’s Committee on Toxicity meeting of 25 March 2025; and whether he plans to hold discussions with the Food Standards Agency on the potential merits of (a) withdrawing its review of the safety of nitrites in processed meats, (b) publishing (i) correspondence, (ii) criteria and (iii) communications relating to its preparation and (c) commissioning a multidisciplinary study considering (A) animal, (B) human and (C) mechanistic evidence.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work and will not be withdrawn. Its purpose was to summarise recent evidence from human studies to inform policy decisions, rather than to provide a full risk assessment. Current policy continues to align with NHS dietary advice, which recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat, some of which contain nitrites, to 70g per day. We understand public concern about potential long-term health effects, including cancer risk, and remain committed to monitoring emerging evidence closely.

To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on Government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.

The published report clearly sets out the methodology and criteria used, providing clarity and confidence in the process. While the FSA does not routinely publish internal correspondence or preparatory communications, due to the potential inclusion of commercially sensitive or personal information, the report itself provides full transparency on the evidence base and decision-making approach.

There are no plans to commission a broader multidisciplinary study. Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.