Food Packaging

Mr. Drew
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) commissioned and (b) funded into the nutritional claims made on food packaging; and what discussions she has had with the Department of Trade and Industry on controls on (i) advertising and (ii) marketing of products.

Caroline Flint
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been leading on negotiations on a new European regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food, which has recently been adopted and is expected to apply in the summer of next year. This regulation will require all claims to have been assessed and authorised before they can be used and will set conditions a product must meet in order to bear a claim.

To inform the development of this legislation the FSA commissioned and funded a number of projects including research into consumer understanding of claims and substantiation of vitamin and mineral function statements. The FSA has consulted widely on the development of the regulation, including with the Department of Trade and Industry.