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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department’s consultation on food labelling is planned to include questions on the need (a) for labelling to better promote healthier foods (b) to simplify the food labelling requirements and (c) to promote more sustainable foods.

The Government’s obesity strategy, published in July 2020, includes a number of important measures to improve nutrition labelling to aid consumers in making more informed, healthier choices. These include commitments to consult on front of pack nutrition labelling and alcohol calorie labelling, and a commitment to introduce legislation to implement out-of-home calorie labelling for large businesses. The consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling closed on 21 October 2020, the consultation on alcohol calorie labelling will take place shortly and we are looking to introduce legislation on out-of-home calorie labelling later this year.

The Government has further committed to consult on what can be done through labelling to promote high standards and high welfare across the UK market following the end of the transition period. The consultation is currently being prepared. The consultation will seek stakeholder and public views on how consumer information should be presented and on a range of policy options including mandatory/voluntary labelling reforms.

We also have the opportunity to carry out a review of food labelling now we are no longer bound by EU rules to ensure information supports UK consumers' safe, healthy and sustainable food choices and also Great British food products. This would include careful consideration of how food labelling might contribute to the outcomes of the National Food Strategy, which is looking in detail at creating a better food system for people and for the environment.