Food: Labelling

(asked on 5th February 2024) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she will make an assessment of the adequacy of food labelling for people with allergies.


Answered by
Andrea Leadsom Portrait
Andrea Leadsom
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 12th February 2024

The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.  The United Kingdom maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, so that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food safety and food hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including food allergen labelling.

All food businesses are under a legal obligation to provide information on the presence of the 14 major allergens in food, so that people who have allergies and intolerances are able to make safe food choices. The FSA carries out a range of research to ensure that this information is clear and accurate. It has recently carried out an evaluation of the prepacked for direct sale food labelling requirements introduced in 2021, and updated food labelling technical guidance for businesses following a consultation with consumers and food businesses on the application and understanding of allergen labelling.

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