PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Bread: Labelling (5 September 2022)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps with (a) his Cabinet colleagues and (b) his counterparts in the devolved administrations and their corresponding agencies to ensure that proposals for full ingredient declaration and meaningful, legal definitions of commonly-used marketing terms as set out in the Real Bread Campaign's proposals published on 18 March 2022 for an Honest Crust Act are fully reflected in the public consultation which opened on 1 September 2022 on amending the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Asked by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)

The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations committed to carry out a review of Bread and Flour Regulations across the UK. The key proposals agreed for change are outlined in a public consultation published on 1 September 2022 which is open for responses until 23 November 2022. These proposals which were agreed across government, and with the Devolved Administrations, address the most pressing aspects identified for change including the addition of mandatory folic acid to flour to prevent neural tube defects in foetuses.

Full ingredient listing is already required for all prepacked foods with loose foods subject to certain derogations for practical reasons. An update of existing guidance around commonly used marketing terms across all foods is planned for the future.

Answered by:
Sir Mark Spencer (Conservative)
16 September 2022