Bread: Labelling

(asked on 12th July 2018) - View Source

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 an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the recommendations contained in the Honest Crust campaign published by the Real Bread Campaign and the charity Sustain published November 2017.


Answered by
George Eustice Portrait
George Eustice
This question was answered on 16th July 2018

We are satisfied that compliance with EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers and General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 together ensure that the labelling and advertising of food must not mislead the consumer. EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 ensures that pre-packaged loaves display a full ingredient list, while the exemption of loaves sold at the point of production is made in the interests of small businesses and bakeries, reducing unnecessary regulatory burden while retaining essential, relevant information for the consumer.

EC Regulation 1333/2008 adequately defines the approved additives and their conditions of use in bread. These requirements, together with guidance on terms such as ‘hand-made’, ‘Farmhouse’ and ‘home-made’ used by food businesses and trading standards officers, already provide robust protection to consumers against misleading practices. However if a consumer does think that they are being misled by bread labelling, they should seek advice from their local trading standards office.

A restricted number of additives are permitted in sourdough bread under EC Regulation 1333/2008 – there are no plans at present to change these. There are many products on the market that do not have definitions set out in legislation, however there are general rules in place to protect consumers. The Bread & Flour Regulations 1998 contain a few, limited definitions but the focus of the legislation is on the fortification of white and brown flour with certain nutrients, mostly for restorative purposes.

There are no current plans to include a legal definition for sourdough within the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 but the baking industry itself may consider agreeing a code of practice about what should be described as a UK sourdough bread.

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