The UK Government have published a summary of responses to its Plastic Packaging Tax consultation, whereby, according to the Treasury, the majority of the 291 respondents agreed with the majority of proposals put forward.

The consultation welcomed opinions on the cost of the tax which was confirmed in the 2020 Budget as a levy of £200 per tonne on all domestically manufactured or imported packaging containing less than 30 per cent recycled content from April 2022.

Comments on the scope of the tax, how the tax will be collected and enforced, and who will be liable to pay the tax were also invited. Issues raised were included in the draft legislation for the tax, which was published alongside the summary of responses.

The draft legislation for the tax defines ‘plastic’ as a material consisting of polymer to which additives or substances may have been added, with cellulose-based polymers classified as an exception. However, there are issues around the availability of recycled material and are there also some regulatory barriers to its inclusion.

Lynne Regent, CEO of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, is calling for new legislation on Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL). Those individuals who suffer from allergies often also suffer with anxiety due to fear of death from anaphylactic shock. The wording, or even lack of it, on the PAL on products could lead to confusion and even potential death.

Anaphylaxis occurs when an individual is exposed to something they are allergic to eg food. It can occur within minutes or hours. The body releases chemical substances resulting in a reaction between the allergic antibody and the allergen, leading to a fall in blood pressure, swelling, rashes, nausea, collapse and ultimately unconsciousness.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign discovered, after undertaking research into allergen labelling, that there were 43 different ways that PALs can express ‘may contain’.

Lynne Regent, CEO, stated that labelling was better now but that there was still room for improvement, “We need to keep it simple, a product should read ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable for’ but some insist on putting things like ‘made on a line, made in a factory’ which mean nothing to the consumer because they cannot assess the risk based on such statements.” Regent also stated that until legislation is in place that they advise people to take seriously the ‘may contain’ warnings on packaging. There is also no way of knowing how much of the food has been exposed to the potential allergen which can affect the need for a ‘may contain’ label.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign confirmed that scientists were confident they had sufficient information on the threshold levels for eleven allergenic foods which include: peanut, milk, egg, some tree nuts (hazelnut and cashew), soy, wheat, mustard, lupin, sesame and shrimp/prawn. Fish and Celery are still under analysis.

Gluten, in the UK, has a legal threshold dose of no more than 20 parts per million, however, those with wheat allergies should be aware that ‘gluten free’ may not be safe for them to consume. This is due to the fact that they may react to wheat proteins if a reasonable portion is consumed in a product with less than 20 parts per million. NB: This threshold level is safe for those suffering with coeliac disease.

A programme known as VITAL is assisting food producers in risk assessment by identifying the potential impact of allergen ‘cross contact’ in products. It also specifies the PAL statement to be used.

Regent did clarify that “The majority of companies do understand labelling well and the legislation the UK does have, is excellent.” She further added that, “The 14 allergens are listed in bold on all products and all ingredients feature on the label.”

Natasha’s Law, which followed the death of Natasha Laperouse following exposure to an allergen, is coming into effect soon and this will have an impact on pre-packed goods for direct sale in Britain. It will make it safer for those suffering with allergies but food companies must understand their responsibility following the change. Any company in need of further advice can contact the FSA and Government bodies. The Anaphylaxis Campaign also run a number of training courses which are mostly free.

There is currently no cure for anaphylaxis or allergies.

Warnings have been renewed following hundreds of people in France being poisoned by Death Cap Mushroom, aka poisonous amanita phalloides.

French poison control centres have reported a sharp spike in cases in recent weeks according to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES). There have been 732 intoxication cases recorded since July 2020 including some cases of serious life-threatening illnesses. Most cases occur in October when the weather conditions favour wild mushroom growth i.e. rainfall, humidity and cooler temperatures.

It is not only foraged mushrooms that people must be aware of (often people incorrectly identify the mushrooms) – poisoning risks can also occur from shop bought varieties, or consumption in a restaurant, of mushrooms that are in poor condition, undercooked or stored incorrectly.

This type of poisoning can lead to serious health issues such as digestive disorders, liver damage, kidney complications and even death.

There have been other instances of foraging poisoning cases around the World in recent years with cases reported in Canada, Italy, Hong Kong and Australia.

On the 11^th November 2020 legislation was passed in UK law that will unleash the potential for agriculture.

The Agriculture Bill was introduced to Parliament in January, this year, and will provide a boost to the industry after years of overly bureaucratic policy being dictated by the EU. The new system will replace the Basic Payment Subsidy Scheme which pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed and was heavily skewed towards larger landowners.

The Bill will empower UK farmers and land managers and ensure they are rewarded properly with public money for ‘public goods’ – such as better air and water quality, thriving wildlife, soil health and measures to reduce flooding and tackle climate change under the Environmental Land Management Scheme. This will provide a powerful vehicle to achieve the Governments’ 25 year Environment Plan and commitment to reach net zero emission by 2050.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said, “Our landmark Agriculture Act will transform the way we support farmers.”

He also added that, “The government will now be able to further champion food production by improving the transparency and fairness in the supply chain from farm to fork, as well as keeping our world-famous food producers competitive and innovative by investing in the latest technology and research. The government will also report on UK food security to Parliament every three years. The first report will be published at the end of next year, and will include analysis of the impacts on food supply of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as a wide range of themes including global availability of food, food safety and consumer confidence.”

Farmers will have a 7 year transition period, starting in 2021, to adapt to the new agricultural system. Direct Payments will be phased out starting with the 2021 Basic Payment Scheme year and run until end of 2027. This will allow farmers and land managers the time they need to adapt to the new system.

To read the full article – please click here.

The House of Commons Library recently published a research briefing on obesity. The paper covers the work of the UK Government in preventing and reducing obesity and includes chapters on the childhood obesity plan, the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), and the ‘tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ policy paper.

Chapter 7 covers the consultation on introducing further restrictions on advertising products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). This particular consultation has come under heavy criticism from industry with many claiming that the implementation date of the end of 2022 and consultation period of just six weeks were far too short.

In 2019 the government consulted on restricting advertising of HFSS for TV and online. It asked for views on whether to extend current advertising restrictions on broadcast TV and online media, including consulting on watershed restrictions. In July 2020 the government confirmed its intention to introduce a 9pm watershed on TV. This new consultation goes further and looks at how a total HFSS advertising restriction could be implemented online. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 22^nd December 2020 and can be found here.

The House of Commons Research Briefing can be downloaded here