Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department’s policy is on food companies that fail to disclose allergens on their packaging.

Food businesses are required to declare allergenic ingredients on the packaging of pre-packed foods. For foods pre-packed for direct sale, there is also a legal requirement to provide allergen information but, given the nature of the business, there is an option to provide this orally on consumer request. In cases where food companies fail to disclose allergens, the Food Standards Agency may issue an allergy alert and companies will be required to withdraw or recall the affected product. The local authority should follow up with the business but failure of a business to comply with the relevant legal requirements may ultimately result in criminal prosecution.