§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what evidence he has collated of a link between consumption of high sugar content baby foods and obesity in children; and if he will make a statement; [170252]
(2) what plans he has to require baby food labelling to show prominently the sugar content; [170253]
(3) what representations he has received on the labelling of baby foods to show sugar content. [170254]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonWe have not collated evidence of a link between consumption of high sugar content baby foods and obesity in children.
Labelling rules for baby foods are agreed at European Union level. The presence of sugar added as an ingredient to baby foods must be declared as an ingredient—as part of the list of ingredients appearing on the product label.
Additional specific labelling requirements for these foods require the actual amounts of certain nutrients present, such as protein, fat and carbohydrate, to be declared. However, a declaration of the actual amounts of sugar present is not mandatory and there are no plans to introduce such a requirement at this time.
There have been no representations on the labelling of sugar content for baby foods over the past year.