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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the accuracy of food labelling.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy

All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules. 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.

Responsibility for assessing business compliance with the majority of food legislation rests with Local Authorities (LAs). The FSA provides a framework for LAs to regulate food businesses. A key aspect of this is the statutory Food Law Code of Practice (Code) and associated Practice Guidance, which establish a set of expectations for the activities LAs are responsible for under food law and how these are to be delivered.

The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) works closely with the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN), whose members include supermarkets and many businesses within their supply chains.