Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure people with sight loss have greater access to accessible packaging when shopping.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible and clearly legible. Information shall not in any way be obscured and depending on the package size, there is a minimum font size.
That said, we welcome work by industry, especially companies developing new digital technologies like NaviLens with the potential to provide the means for people with visual impairment to access food information. As part of the upcoming Food Strategy White Paper, we will look at optimising food information, including labelling, so all consumers, are better able to make informed choices.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the intake of fibre in people's diet.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
In the United Kingdom, the national food model, the Eatwell Guide, provides a visual representation of Government’s evidence-based recommendations for a healthy balanced diet. The guide depicts a healthy, balanced diet based on fruit and vegetables and higher fibre starchy carbohydrates.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of public-private partnership to increase fibre intake ss part of his Department’s forthcoming food strategy White Paper.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The forthcoming Government Food Strategy is a once in a generation opportunity to create a food system that feeds our nation today and protects it for tomorrow. It will build on existing work across Government and identify new opportunities to make the food system healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to shift towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, whilst maintaining people's freedom of choice, including on their diet.
The Government's advice in the Eatwell Guide, which provides advice on how to have a healthier and more sustainable diet, recommends food that is high in fibre, fruit, and vegetables. Defra is committed to listening to opinions from stakeholders across the entirety of the food system. We actively encourage dialogues with a wide range of stakeholders to identify options to transform the food system and are keen to work closely with industry to deliver lasting change.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential contribution to UK net zero targets from the introduction of financial assistance to enable and support farmers willing to change from livestock farming to plant-based protein production methods.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We are developing a range of measures through the Agriculture Act, our future farming policy, our forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper and the 25 Year Environment Plan, all with the aim of enabling farmers to optimise sustainable food production and reduce emissions from agriculture. These are important steps towards achieving our 25 Year Environment Plan ambitions and our carbon net zero goals.
We recognise the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions made by the livestock and dairy sectors. However, while food choices can have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions, well managed livestock also provide environmental benefits such as supporting biodiversity, protecting the character of the countryside and generating important income for rural communities.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to (a) regulate the use of the term wholegrain food in food labelling and (b) incorporate whole grains or fibre into front of pack labelling.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The rules on the provision of food information to consumers, taken together with other requirements in food production, ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively in order for consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume. Food information may not be misleading to consumers and where terms such as “wholegrain” are used, this must be justified by the choice of ingredients used and indicated on the ingredients list.
There may be an opportunity for use of the term “wholegrain” to be considered as part of a planned review of the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998. As part of the review, we will hold a public consultation and since many of the issues raised by stakeholders to date are technically complex we expect this review will need sufficient time to consider responses and agree the best way forward.
Between 30 July and 21 October 2020, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) held a four-nation consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL). As part of this consultation, DHSC invited views and evidence on whether updated dietary advice on fibre should be reflected on FOPNL.
The Government will publish a consultation response as soon as possible. If any changes are required, we will consult again on policy options.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2021 to Question 179265 on Catering: Regulation, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on allergen labelling in restaurant menus, similar to regulations on pre-packaged food under Natasha's law.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 No 1218 (known as ‘Natasha’s Law’) comes into force on 1 October this year.
These Regulations were consulted on widely and a range of options considered. The option that was decided upon provides a higher level of protection for people living with food hypersensitivity. The amendment Regulations mean that food known as ‘prepacked for direct sale’ food must be labelled with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergens emphasised, from 1 October 2021.
The Government has no plans at present to extend these regulations to cover mandatory ingredient labelling on restaurant menus. The Food Standards Agency, which leads on policy on food safety including food allergies, is open to understanding what is possible and practical in this area although any proposed changes will need to be evidence driven.
All businesses supplying food, whether prepacked, prepacked for direct sale or sold loose, must be able to provide accurate information on allergens to customers.
The Government has committed to review food labelling. This will include careful consideration of how food labelling might contribute to the outcomes of the National Food Strategy, which is looking in detail at creating a better food system.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to extend the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations to cover all food prepared by food businesses.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Government has no plans at present to extend the Food Information (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2019 to cover all food prepared by business. The Regulations were consulted on widely and a range of options considered. The option that was decided upon provides a higher level of protection for people living with food hypersensitivity. The amendment Regulations mean that food known as ‘prepacked for direct sale’ food must be labelled with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergens emphasised, from 1 October 2021.
All businesses supplying food, whether prepacked, prepacked for direct sale or sold loose, must be able to provide accurate information on allergens to customers.