Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to reduce the importation and use of artificial sweeteners.

The Food Standards Agency advises that controls on imports of sweeteners into the United Kingdom are not necessary as European Union legislation already controls their use in food.

All food additives, including sweeteners, are only permitted after a safety evaluation and the legislation sets out the foods in which the sweeteners can be used and their conditions of use. Sweeteners are allowed to be used for a number of purposes including in the preparation of sugar free and energy reduced foods.