Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48852 on Diabetes, what his planned timetable is for responding to the (a) research and (b) other recommendations made in the position statement by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition on the on the World Health Organization’s guideline on Non Sugar Sweeteners.

The Department welcomed the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN’s) statement on the World Health Organisation’s guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), published in April 2025.

As a result of these recommendations, we are in the process of updating our consumer advice on the NHS.UK website, which will focus on the long-term goal to reduce both sugar and NSS intake, with NSS being a useful swap for sugar in the short-term.

SACN’s recommendations to Government will be considered as part of our ongoing activities and in discussion with the Food Standards Agency; no timeline has been set.

The Department encourages the research community and industry to take up SACN’s recommendations directed at them.