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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to (a) require producers to list all ingredients in bread and (b) establish a definition of sourdough as being additive-free and leavened using only a culture of naturally occurring yeast.

The Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 and the General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 both require that the labelling and advertising of food must not mislead the consumer. EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires that all pre-packaged loaves display a full ingredient list.

A restricted number of additives are permitted in in sourdough bread under EC Regulation 1333/2008 – there are no plans at present to change these. However when we leave the EU there will be an opportunity to review this. The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 contain a few, limited definitions but the focus on the legislation is on the fortification of white and brown flour with certain nutrients, mostly for restorative purposes. There are no current plans to include a legal definition for sour dough within the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 but the baking industry itself may consider agreeing a code of practise about what should be described as a UK sourdough bread.