Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to monitor and regulate the sale of weight loss and diet control products.

Specialist foods for weight loss and diet control are regulated in Great Britain by the Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Reduction Regulations 1997. These Regulations set out the essential composition of such foods and controls their labelling and advertising.

Other products sold for weight loss as food supplements are controlled by the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003. These Regulations are made under the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990. Products found to contain any dangerous substance can be immediately withdrawn from sale.

Monitoring food businesses to ensure compliance with food legislation is the responsibility of local authorities. These local authorities are also responsible for taking enforcement action, including prosecutions, where non-compliance is found.