Correspondence Apr. 30 2024
Committee: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)Found: Food allergy labelling in restaurants My Committee raised the issue of food allergy labelling in
Asked by: Sweeney, Paul (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26199 by Jenni Minto on 26 March 2024, what criteria a medicine would have to meet in order to be considered for "specialist medicine" designation by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Special medicines or ‘specials’ refer to unlicensed medicinal products that should only be supplied to meet the special clinical needs of an individual patient. An unlicensed medicinal product should not be supplied where an equivalent licensed medicinal product is available. Responsibility for deciding whether an individual patient has “special needs” which a licensed product cannot meet is a matter for the prescribing clinician responsible for their care. Examples of “special needs” include an intolerance or allergy to a particular ingredient, or an inability to ingest solid oral dosage forms. These examples are not exhaustive.
The Scottish Government has no role in designating ‘specials’. Regulation for the licensing, quality safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Mentions:
1: Jon Cruddas (LAB - Dagenham and Rainham) In autumn 2021, the all-party parliamentary group on allergy, alongside the National Allergy Strategy - Speech Link
2: Louie French (CON - Old Bexley and Sidcup) That is why I support Allergy UK’s mission for everyone in the UK to take allergy seriously. - Speech Link
3: Martyn Day (SNP - Linlithgow and East Falkirk) Allergy Awareness Week was held from 24 to 28 April and was initiated by Allergy UK, which is urging - Speech Link
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress the Clinical Reference Group for allergies has made.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
NHS England’s Clinical Reference Group (CRG) provides clinical advice and leadership for both Specialised Immunology and Specialised Allergy services.
The CRG advises NHS England on the optimal arrangements for the commissioning of specialised services. This includes developing national standards in the form of service specifications and policies. The CRG commenced a review of the current published Specialist Allergy Service Specification in May 2023, which is expected to be complete by summer 2024. The outcome of the service specification review will be an updated specification which references up to date guidance and takes into account the latest evidence base to clearly define the standards of care for commissioned specialised services.
Nov. 17 2023
Source Page: FOI responses published by MOD: week commencing 13 November 2023Found: How many people have you recruited within 2021-2023 who have any allergy classed as severe?
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure retail food businesses comply with measures in the Food Information Regulations 2014 on providing written allergen information for labels.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food safety related labelling, including allergens. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food law in the vast majority of food businesses, including those in the retail and catering sector. As central competent authority, the FSA monitors the delivery of official controls by local authorities.
The FSA produces the statutory Food Law Code of Practice and associated Practice Guidance establishing a set of expectations for the activities local authorities are responsible for under food law, and how these are to be delivered. This is supported by a range of training, advice, and guidance to help food officers discharge their functions. Recent changes to the Food Law Code of Practice will enable a more risk-based and intelligence-driven approach to targeting premises for food standards inspections and carrying out interventions, and includes specific consideration of the risk factor for compliance with providing allergen information.
The FSA also provides support for food businesses, for example through guidance and training, on providing allergen information in line with the requirements of the 2014 Food Information to Consumer Regulations to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance, and coeliac disease to make safe choices when eating out.
Feb. 23 2024
Source Page: Covid-19 vaccination exemptions: FOI releaseFound: provided in specific circumstances where there was a clinical rationale for not vaccinating, including allergy
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for the funding it provided to the British Allergy Foundation in 2022.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The Scottish Government provided no direct funding to the British Allergy Foundation in 2022.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that food businesses adhere to food labelling standards for items (a) containing common allergens and (b) marketed as (i) vegetarian and (ii) vegan.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food businesses selling food in the UK must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way. For example, food businesses are under a legal obligation to provide accurate information on the presence of the 14 major allergens in food, so that people who have allergies and intolerances can make safe food choices.
While there are no specific rules covering information on the suitability of food for vegetarians or vegans, the requirement that food information must not mislead consumers applies to such labels as for other voluntary labels.
It is the duty of Local Authorities to enforce food safety and labelling regulations, to help ensure food is safe for people living with a food allergy. The Food Standards Agency have agreements and protocols in place to support local authorities in their work and give guidance to explain the regulations and how they can be applied to food businesses.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it his policy to implement Owen's Law in line with the recommendations of the Food Standards Agency.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom
The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food. The United Kingdom maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
At the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) December 2023 board meeting, the board agreed a revised policy for provision of allergen information for food businesses selling non-prepacked food, such as coffee shops and restaurants. The new policy sets an expectation for these businesses to provide allergen information in writing as well as having a conversation. The board also agreed their preference would be for written information to be mandatory.
As a non-ministerial department, the FSA cannot make legislation and has written to Ministers in England and Wales, the Executive in Northern Ireland, and Food Standards Scotland for views on these matters.
In the meantime, the FSA will develop guidance to implement this policy and provide support for food businesses on how to provide written allergen information to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease to make safe choices when eating out.