Members may have seen our recent article regarding the Government announcement that it will be made mandatory to add Folic acid to flour in the UK. This followed an agreement with the devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Following on from that announcement the Government are now seeking comments from industry, enforcement authorities, consumers and other interested stakeholders on if there is merit and demand for millers to sell unfortified flour onto the Northern Ireland market subject to it being destined for countries outside the UK or used in products destined to be sold outside the UK.

Currently millers in Northern Ireland cannot sell unfortified flour onto the Northern Ireland market. The Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 state that any non-wholemeal flour that is produced and sold in Northern Ireland must be fortified with calcium, iron, thiamin and niacin. However, the Regulations do not apply in respect any flour brought into Northern Ireland from an EEA State in which it was lawfully produced and sold.

The consultation will end on Monday 6th December 2021 and can be found here.

Embracing the opportunity to support British farmers and improve animal welfare, the Government is launching a new Call for Evidence to seek views on a new labelling scheme and the animal welfare standards that might underpin it.

The labelling for animal welfare Call for Evidence will run for 12 weeks and closes on 6^th December 2021.

Information will be gathered on the potential scope, regulation, format, and enforcement of a new labelling scheme, as well as the actual welfare standards themselves.

This evidence will then be used to inform any future policy proposals on labelling for animal welfare, aiming to provide shoppers with clearer information on labels so they can make more informed choices about the food they eat.

Building on commitments made during the passage of the Agriculture Act 2020, it will also feed into a wider review of food labelling to inform the UK Government’s Food Strategy White Paper.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) have recently published three key pieces of advice on ‘country of origin’ claims in product advertising.

Country of origin claims can include the use of flags and emblems as well as references to geographical locations and even use of a co.uk web address on pack.

Now that we have left the EU, many businesses may be taking a fresh look at their pack designs and considering how they can influence the change in consumer purchasing behaviour to buy British.

To help ensure your products are compliant with the CAP Code, we would recommend you take a look at the advice. You will find the advice here

CAP also have an advice team  on hand should you need any assistance.

The Government consulted on calorie labelling for food and drink served outside of the home in 2018. Following on from this, the government has introduced legislation to implement mandatory calorie labelling among large food businesses (businesses with 250 or more employees) in the out of home sector.

The out of home sector is generally considered to be any outlet where food or drink is prepared in a way that means it is ready for immediate consumption, on or off the premises, such as restaurants, cafes and takeaways. However, retail businesses, such as supermarkets, are growing contributors to food sold for consumption on the go.

Food and drink that is prepacked is required to display nutritional information, meaning consumers are familiar with seeing calorie content on the majority of items sold in the retail sector, such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

In contrast, the out of home sector typically sells non-prepacked food and is therefore not required to display nutritional information. This makes it difficult for consumers to make informed, healthier decisions when purchasing food from such businesses. In addition, it also aims to encourage businesses to reformulate the food and drink they offer and provide lower calorie options for their customers.

Any businesses that fail to comply with the Regulations may result in a food business being issued with an improvement notice. Although the regulation is only a requirement for larger businesses with more than 250 employees, the government encourages smaller food businesses to also voluntarily adopt the calorie labelling.

For guidance on this regulation, click here.