Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory calorie labelling on menus on (a) eating habits and (b) measures of health beyond calorie intake.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Legislation requires large businesses in England, those with 250 or more employees, to display calorie information on non-prepacked food and soft drinks.
The policy aims to support consumers to improve eating habits by making healthier choices for themselves and their families when eating out or getting a takeaway, with clear information about the calorie content of potential purchases. The policy may also impact measures of health beyond calorie intake by encouraging businesses to reformulate and provide lower calorie options, helping to create a healthier food environment.
The published impact assessment estimated that by lowering calorie consumption amongst people living with overweight or obesity, the policy would produce NHS savings of £430 million and social care savings of £477 million over 25 years.
We continue to evaluate the impact of the Out of Home Calorie Labelling Regulations and will publish a post-implementation review within five years of implementation which will consider the effectiveness and impact of the policy.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure smaller food and drink producers in Buckinghamshire can access government support for reducing trade barriers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.
Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of support for reducing trade barriers relates to non-tariff barriers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.
Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trade facilitation interventions on export volumes from Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.
Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of support for reducing trade barriers has been allocated to food and drink producers in Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.
Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria she uses to prioritise businesses in accessing support for reducing trade barriers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our global network of 16 agrifood and drink attachés are breaking down market access barriers and creating new export opportunities, delivering benefits to businesses in Buckinghamshire and across the UK. So far this year we have pulled down 41 trade barriers, estimated by industry to be worth nearly £100 million to the British food and drink sector. We work closely with industry to identify and resolve barriers, taking into account value and sectoral priorities. Barriers are identified and prioritised at national level but importance to local economies is taken into account. Our attaches focus on removing regulatory barriers for the agri-food and drink sector, including access for animal and plant products, as well as addressing issues such as labelling and other technical barriers to trade which can hinder exports. Together with market access secured through Free Trade Agreements, such as the recent agreement with India, this opens the door to British businesses to capitalise on strong global demand for British produce.
Businesses in Buckinghamshire can report a barrier directly through the online report a barrier service or via their trade association to Defra market access groups for each commodity category. There are a range of SME targeted tools and support available through the Business Growth Service via business.gov.uk to help businesses sell abroad and find the best country for their product. Additional support can be accessed through the UK Export Academy, which is a free training programme for UK businesses looking to grow their international sales.
Asked by: Lewis Atkinson (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling to (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan, on 20 October 2025, PQ UIN 78472.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) NHS Food Scanner app and (b) Good choice badge take into account the level of (i) food processing and the (ii) presence of industrial additives when determining which foods are healthy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.
For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.
Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.
The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/
Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria are used to determine what food choices qualify NHS Food Scanner app users for a Good Choice badge.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.
For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.
Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.
The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/
Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.
Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of awarding Good choice endorsements to (a) artificially sweetened drinks, (b) energy drinks and (c) highly processed snacks on children's health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The primary function of the NHS Food Scanner app is to show how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in the everyday food and drink consumed by families in England. The app helps families see what's in their food and drinks and gives choices of products that can help them cut down on sugar, saturated fat, and salt, including alternatives to family favourites such as biscuits, crisps, and fizzy drinks.
For a food or drink to be eligible for a Good Choice badge they must comply with robust criteria covering 54 food and drink categories. Each category includes relevant nutrient cut off points based on front of pack labelling criteria for saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and takes account of the total calories and the Government’s food and drink reduction and reformation programme. A copy of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Good Choice badge guidelines is attached.
Diets high in ultra-processed foods are also high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and salt. The app does not include levels of processing or additives when assessing the eligibility of a food or drink for a Good Choice badge. It is unclear whether ultra-processed foods are unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in sugar, calories, saturated fat, and/or salt, and are low in fibre. All additives used in the United Kingdom undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink.
The app is undergoing further updates to ensure it also contains information for consumers on artificial sweeteners, and links to further advice and support on healthy eating for families is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/
Data collected from the NHS Food Scanner app is not shared with third parties.