Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Food Standards Agency on the regulation of imported protein (a) powders and (b) supplements.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the lead department for food safety, including food supplements. Local authorities, and district councils in Northern Ireland, are the enforcers of food law in their respective local authority areas. The FSA produces advice and guidance for businesses, local authorities and consumers.

While food supplements, including those that are imported, are not required to receive pre-market approval before being placed on the United Kingdom market, there is a legal duty on businesses to only place onto the market food that is safe. The FSA provides guidance for businesses to aid legal compliance and provides clarity to local authorities in the form of a toolkit to help support enforcement.

The FSA also provides advice for consumers on the consumption of food supplements containing caffeine, and it is currently working on general food supplements advice aimed at helping consumers consume supplements safely.