The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food\u202flabels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The fundamental principle of food\u202flabelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food. Prepacked food has to show: (1) a list of ingredients; (2) the net quantity of the food; (3) the quantity of certain ingredients used; (4) ingredients causing allergies or intolerances; (5) a best before or use by date; (6) any special storage conditions and/or conditions of use; (7) country of origin where required; (8) origin of the primary ingredient (where required); (9) instructions for use where necessary and (10) other labelling as required.<\/p>
In addition, the name of the food (or of any ingredients) should be accompanied by details of the physical condition of the food or the specific treatment which it has undergone (for example, powdered, refrozen, freeze-dried, quick-frozen, concentrated, smoked) in all cases where omission could mislead the purchaser. This means that consumers are able to examine the label on any food and determine whether it meets their particular requirements.<\/p>
While nutrition labelling is mandatory on most prepacked food, front of pack 'traffic light' nutrition labelling remains voluntary, and it is for the individual business to decide on which foods the information will be most useful to consumers. Manufacturers and retailers are encouraged to provide front of pack nutrition labelling on as many of their products as possible where the information is meaningful for consumers. Research has shown that consumers expect to find front of pack nutrition labelling on pre-prepared convenience foods, ready meals and other processed products.<\/p>
The Department of Health and Social Care published guidance in 2013 on applying voluntary front of pack nutrition labelling. The traffic light score for each product is set against thresholds for \u2018green\u2019, \u2018amber\u2019 and \u2018red\u2019, and should be applied on an individual basis relating to the nutritional content and are used to represent whether a product is \u2018high\u2019 (red), \u2018medium\u2019 (amber) or \u2018low\u2019 (green) in specific, individual nutrients (total fat, saturated fat, total sugars and salt). The guidance can be found here<\/a> and attached.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/5006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Douglas-Miller"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1690196/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL2560 attachment.pdf"}
, "title" : "FoP nutrition label guide"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-28T14:16:54.9Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Processed Food: Labelling"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in light of recent research by University College London, to ensure that ultra-processed foods, particularly meat-alternative products, are (1) clearly labelled, and (2) not categorised in the green \u2018healthy\u2019 category of the traffic-light food labelling system.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/259", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Marquess of Lothian"}
], "uin" : "HL2560"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1521518", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1521518/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " No formal assessment has been made from the data. However, the Cabinet Office are leading on a cross-government exercise on inland water safety.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4174", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Stedman-Scott"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-10-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-10-26T16:56:39.313Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-10-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Water: Death"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of data from (1) the Royal Life Saving Society, and (2) the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, that there were at least 50 water-related deaths between June and 16 August this year; and what steps they will take to enhance prevention measures for water-related deaths in the future.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4238", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Storey"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Storey"}
], "uin" : "HL2560"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1354124", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1354124/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Under this government, eligibility for free school meals (FSM) has been extended several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century. We think it is important that FSM support is targeted at those that need it most. FSM is an integral part of our provision for families on low incomes, and our wider actions to promote social mobility. The government is considering the recommendations in the National Food Strategy and will respond in due course.<\/p>