Written question asked by Ashok Kumar (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 May 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 June 2007. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Monday, 11 June 2007 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Food: Labelling

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the Food Standards Agency’s colour-coded food labelling recommendations on consumer behaviour.

Answer: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made a commitment to independently evaluate front of pack nutrition signpost labelling schemes in operation in the United Kingdom and their effect on consumer behaviour and understanding. A study will be commissioned later this year to carry out a comparative evaluation of the three main front of pack labelling approaches currently in use in the UK marketplace, including the FSA’s recommended colour coded scheme.

Secondary information