Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards they have put in place to ensure that protein fermentation products (1) provide good nutritional value, and (2) do not add to existing dietary and food standards concerns.

Sweetened fermented (yogurt) drinks, yogurts and fromage frais contribute to sugar intakes and are included in the sugar reduction programme, which is part of the Government’s childhood obesity plan. A copy of Fermented (yogurt) drinks: A supplementary report to the sugar reduction guidelines, outlining the drinks included and the guidelines set is attached.

All sectors of the food and drink industry have been challenged to reduce the amount of sugar in these products by 20% by 2022. Industry’s progress will be monitored and the first report on progress is expected this year.

All food and drink products sold in the United Kingdom are covered by the Food Safety Act 1990 and Food Information Regulation, which ensures that products meet certain standards and are appropriately labelled.