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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to improve food labelling regulations to ensure that the public are adequately informed when salt has been added to products destined for human consumption, wherever and however such products are sold.

In the UK we maintain high standards on the information that is provided to consumers, including on food labels, through our legislation on the provision of food information to consumers. The fundamental principles of our food labelling rules are that information provided to the consumer must not mislead, must enable consumers to make informed decisions and must enable the safe use of food.

The rules lay out what information must be given to consumers and how it must be provided, including that all ingredients present in food must be indicated in the food's list of ingredients. This means that, other than in very limited circumstances such as unprocessed cheese, the presence of salt as an ingredient in a food must be indicated on a foods list of ingredients. It is also required that the amount of salt in a food is declared in the mandatory nutrition declaration.

In addition to these mandatory requirements indication of salt content is also given on the voluntary front of pack nutritional information panel where one is provided.

After the Transition Period we will also have an opportunity to review food labelling so that consumers have the information they need to have full confidence in the food they buy.