Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the evidence base underpinning the Good Choice badge criteria in the NHS Food Scanner app.

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

The Department has a series of digital tools to support adults and families to eat better and move more, including the food scanner app and the National Health Service weight loss plan app, email programmes, and websites. These tools are evidence-based and regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with current Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition guidance, including recommendations on non-sugar sweeteners and ultra-processed foods. Updates are ongoing to reflect the latest Government advice.

We are always looking to improve the app experience, including extending and personalising messaging, and we welcome feedback from parents as well as organisations to aid us in this process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) the NHS Food Scanner app and (b) other NHS-endorsed public health tools align with Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition advice on (i) non-sugar sweeteners and (ii) ultra-processed foods.

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

The Department has a series of digital tools to support adults and families to eat better and move more, including the food scanner app and the National Health Service weight loss plan app, email programmes, and websites. These tools are evidence-based and regularly reviewed to ensure alignment with current Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition guidance, including recommendations on non-sugar sweeteners and ultra-processed foods. Updates are ongoing to reflect the latest Government advice.

We are always looking to improve the app experience, including extending and personalising messaging, and we welcome feedback from parents as well as organisations to aid us in this process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) NHS Food Scanner app and (b) Good choice badge take into account the level of (i) food processing and the (ii) presence of industrial additives when determining which foods are healthy.

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

The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.

For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.

Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.

The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/

Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria are used to determine what food choices qualify NHS Food Scanner app users for a Good Choice badge.

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

The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.

For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.

Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.

The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/

Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of awarding Good choice endorsements to (a) artificially sweetened drinks, (b) energy drinks and (c) highly processed snacks on children's health.

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

The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.

For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.

Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.

The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/

Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is shared with third parties.

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

The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.

For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.

Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.

The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/

Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the (a) Plastic Packaging Tax rate and (b) recycled content requirement to promote domestic recycling.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Plastic Packaging Tax was introduced in April 2022 under the previous government and provides a price incentive for businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging – thereby stimulating the collection and recycling of plastic waste.

All tax rates and thresholds are reviewed at fiscal events.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the plastic waste export regime to help increase levels of domestic recycling.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is reviewing the role of plastic waste exports as part of the Government’s wider efforts to improve management of this waste. Our focus is on ensuring a level playing field for domestic recyclers whilst realising our environmental objectives, and any future action will aim to help drive investment in UK reprocessing infrastructure and promote domestic recycling.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress she has made on the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2027.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will launch in October 2027 across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Earlier this year UK DMO were appointed as the deposit management organisation for the schemes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and they are continuing to progress at pace with delivery of the scheme.

We recommend that interested parties email UK DMO at enquiries@dmouk.com if there are specific queries or visit their website to register for news and updates from UK DMO themselves: https://ukdmo.co.uk. UK DMO have monthly newsletters with updates on DRS progress.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) ultra-processed foods, (b) palm oil and (c) single-use plastics on the environment impacts associated with supply chains; and if she will publish lifecycle analyses held by her Department.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is funding research into the environmental impacts of agricultural goods including oil seeds such as palm oil and multi-ingredient/complex food products. We are also funding a life-cycle assessment on alternative proteins, which may include products involving varying levels of processing. The findings will be published once complete.

UK Research and Innovation is taking forward a public dialogue on ultra-processed foods to ensure public views feed into research and innovation priorities and programmes at an early stage. The oversight group for the dialogue involves multiple stakeholders from academia, Government and policy bodies, NGOs and food industry organisations.

The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade and use of palm oil. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has created the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator, which includes analysis of the impact of palm oil in global supply chains. The indicator estimates that UK consumption of palm oil drove 2,800 hectares of deforestation in 2022. We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. Oil palm is a very efficient crop, producing more oil per hectare than other vegetable oil crops. Substitution of other oils which typically require significantly more land to produce may lead to greater environmental impacts as more land is converted to agricultural use.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes through school food (a) standards and (b) guidance to tackle ultra-processed foods; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward further proposals to help reduce the proportion of ultra-processed items in school (i) meals and (ii) vending machines.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has considered the impact of processed foods on health in 2023 and 2025, and recommends that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt and free sugars and low in fibre.

The School Food Standards already restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, but to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, the department is working with with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with updated nutrition guidance.

The School Food Standards apply to food and drink provided to pupils on school premises up to 6pm and include vending machines.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will (a) collect and (b) publish data on the proportion of ultra-processed foods in school meals (i) by region, (ii) by local authority and (iii) in Wiltshire.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department does not collate or publish data on the proportion of ultra-processed foods in school meals. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day, and restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods.

Governing boards have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations. To support governors, the department, along with the National Governance Association, launched an online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This training is designed to improve understanding of the Standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their whole school approach to food.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) the healthy schools rating scheme and (b) similar programmes consider the degree of food processing in assessing school performance on healthy eating.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. The healthy schools rating scheme celebrates the positive actions that schools are delivering in terms of healthy living, healthy eating and physical activity, and supports schools in identifying further actions that they can take in this area.

Healthy eating is covered in science and design and technology in the national curriculum as well as in health education, as part of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum.

The School Food Standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. Governing Boards have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the School Food Standards and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

NHS Food Scanner App and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition Guidance

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