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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to consult with allergy charities, consumer groups, and the food industry on introducing mandatory front-of-pack labelling to alert consumers when a new allergen has been added to a product, and on setting a minimum period of time for which such notices should remain visible.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

For prepacked food, a range of mandatory information must be provided, and this includes a complete list of ingredients. If a prepacked food contains one of the 14 major allergens as an ingredient then this must be emphasised in the ingredients list so that it clearly stands out from the other ingredients.

Food businesses should provide a straightforward means for consumers to contact them (e.g., telephone, or email), on the product label or on their website, about any food allergen labelling changes. Consumers should receive meaningful and accurate responses, explaining the reason for any allergen labelling changes.