Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Food Standards Agency, Safety of Nitrates and Nitrites as Food Additives, published on 1 October; what discussions they have had with the FSA about publishing the correspondence, criteria and communications relating to the preparation of that review; and whether they plan to commission a comprehensive multidisciplinary study of the safety of nitrites in processed meats.

The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) review of nitrates and nitrites as food additives is an important piece of work that summarises recent evidence from human studies to inform policy decisions.

To maintain transparency, the full report, including its scope, search criteria, and details of the external contract, has been published on Government websites. This allows stakeholders and the public to see exactly how the review was conducted and how conclusions were reached.

The published report clearly sets out the methodology and criteria used, providing clarity and confidence in the process. The FSA does not routinely publish internal correspondence or preparatory communications, due to the potential inclusion of commercially sensitive or personal information. However, the report itself provides full transparency on the evidence base and decision-making approach. There have been no discussions on changing this approach.

There are no plans to commission a broader multidisciplinary study. Existing permitted nitrite levels are based on robust international risk assessments and remain appropriate to protect public health. Commissioning a new study would require significant resource and is not justified without new evidence indicating a change in risk.