Found: The concept of ultra-processed food is very important, and if we want to go further in regulation on food

Found: for policies as diverse as taxation, marketing regulation, placement and promotions regulations, food

Found: We know that there are a huge number of requirements for food labelling, but many of them relate to

Found: The Government should review its food labelling guidance—while considering new technologies and tools

Found: We want the Government to look into food labelling rules so labels are accessible to more people.

Found: The Government should review its food labelling guidance—while considering new technologies and tools

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure retail food businesses comply with measures in the Food Information Regulations 2014 on providing written allergen information for labels.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food safety related labelling, including allergens. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food law in the vast majority of food businesses, including those in the retail and catering sector. As central competent authority, the FSA monitors the delivery of official controls by local authorities.

The FSA produces the statutory Food Law Code of Practice and associated Practice Guidance establishing a set of expectations for the activities local authorities are responsible for under food law, and how these are to be delivered. This is supported by a range of training, advice, and guidance to help food officers discharge their functions. Recent changes to the Food Law Code of Practice will enable a more risk-based and intelligence-driven approach to targeting premises for food standards inspections and carrying out interventions, and includes specific consideration of the risk factor for compliance with providing allergen information.

The FSA also provides support for food businesses, for example through guidance and training, on providing allergen information in line with the requirements of the 2014 Food Information to Consumer Regulations to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance, and coeliac disease to make safe choices when eating out.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve food labelling so that (a) consumers are effectively informed on which products have been produced (i) locally and (ii) in the UK and (b) local products are not undercut by external competition which is not produced to the same standard.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Country of origin information is required for fresh and frozen meat derived from beef cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry, as well as uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil, wine and some fish products. It is also required for all prepacked food where its omission would be misleading to consumers. In any case, where an indication of origin or provenance is given, either in words or pictures, this must be accurate. Buying food locally and supporting their local food economy is important to many consumers and where any label indicates that a food is produced locally, this must not be misleading to a consumer.

As recently announced by the Secretary of State, we will soon be launching a consultation on clearer food labelling. This will explore how we can better highlight imports that do not meet UK welfare standards. The consultation will also seek evidence and views on how origin information could be improved for consumers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will commission a review into the effectiveness of the requirement under the Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021 to display calorie information on menus.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has commissioned independent research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the regulations, and these findings are expected in mid-2024. The NIHR is also funding research to explore the impact of the regulations on people with lived experience of eating disorders, with findings due in October 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of calorie labelling on menus on (a) obesity levels, (b) people with eating disorders and (c) young people.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has commissioned independent research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the regulations, and these findings are expected in mid-2024. The NIHR is also funding research to explore the impact of the regulations on people with lived experience of eating disorders, with findings due in October 2025.

Found: Support a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply; food labelling and composition policy.

Found: Support a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply; food labelling and composition policy.Support

Found: Fairer food labelling

Found: Consultation launched to make food labelling fairer and clearer