Health: Ultra-processed Food

Lord Krebs Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am interested to hear my noble friend’s suggestion. This Government do not have that as part of their plan. However, on my noble friend’s point about the need for research, I heard what he said about evidence, but that is not the evidence that I have available. I assure your Lordships’ House that the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition repeatedly reviews evidence and assesses the impact of processed foods on health in position statements, and it has made two recent publications on that. We continue to invest in research on ultra-processed foods.

[Lord Krebs (CB)]

My Lords—

[Lord McColl of Dulwich (Con)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we have plenty of time. We will hear from the Cross Benches next.

[Lord Krebs (CB)]

My Lords, I declare my interests as recorded in the register. Last year, the author of the best-selling book Ultra-Processed People, Dr Chris van Tulleken, gave evidence to the Food, Diet and Obesity Select Committee, of which I had the privilege of being a member. He said that ultra-processed food

“is not a regulatory tool—I do not know anyone credible who is talking about using that definition to slap labels on things … the regulatory tool, in my view, should be fat, salt, sugar and calories”.

Does the Minister agree with Dr van Tulleken?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for bringing his expertise and commitment to this area. It is indeed the case that the majority of foods classified or considered as ultra-processed foods also tend to be high in calories, saturated fat, salt and sugar, for which there is more definitive evidence, as the noble Lord has referred to. It is the case that many UPFs are already captured by the Government’s considerable programme of work to improve the food environment.