§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy(a) to devise a legal definition 1642W of the word vegetarian and (b) to ensure that vegetarian food products are clearly labelled; and if he will make a statement. [187522]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Government is aware of vegetarian consumers' concerns that some food products may be inappropriately labelled as 'suitable for vegetarians'.
Consumers are protected by the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, which contain general provision, outlawing false or misleading labelling. The Government therefore has no plans to introduce a legal definition of 'vegetarian'. It does, however, believe that establishing Food Standards Agency (FSA) advice for industry and enforcement authorities setting out minimum standards for use of the terms 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' may be helpful. The FSA plans to hold a stakeholder meeting on 24 September to explore this option