§ 24. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there have been any developments in the European Commission's plan for a Community system of voluntary nutrition labelling.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonWe still await the Commission's proposals on nutrition labelling of foods, which were due to be issued by the end of 1987. In the meantime we have issued our own guidelines and we are pressing for widespread adoption as a result of the revise circulated on 21 January.
§ 46. Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he expects to introduce further proposals for the declaration of nutritional information on food products.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonRevised guidelines for a standard approach to voluntary nutrition declarations were issued on 21 January,Official Report, column 836. I am pressing for widespread adoption by food manufacturers and retailers. Proposals for legislation to set out the form in which voluntary declarations must be given will be considered once we have experience of the operation of the system and European Community intentions on nutrition labelling are clearer. We are looking at the need for simple graphical or representational systems to supplement numerical declarations, and at the need for controls to prevent misleading claims for nutrient content undermining the value of nutrition declarations provided in accordance with the guidelines.