FSA welcomes new allergen labelling law
The government plans to introduce the new legislation this summer.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has welcomed the announcement of a new allergen labelling law made today by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
“This is an important step forward in our ambition for the UK to become the best place in the world for people living with food hypersensitivities,” FSA chair Heather Hancock said. “We know that the impact of food allergy and intolerance on quality of life can be as great or even greater than almost all other foodborne diseases.”
The government plans to introduce the new legislation this summer, which will mandate full ingredients labelling for foods which are prepacked for direct sale.
It is proposed that the new laws will come into force in England and Northern Ireland by summer 2021.
The announcement is the result of a UK-wide consultation, launched in January, that sought views on updating food allergen labelling laws for foods prepacked for direct sale. It also followed the tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, as a result of an allergic reaction to a baguette she had eaten which did not display allergen information on the packaging.
Reacting to the news, a Pret A Manger spokesperson said the chain is “pleased” that the government has chosen to support full ingredient labelling.
“As part of Pret’s Allergy Plan, full ingredient labels are now in over 60 Pret shops as part of our nationwide rollout. Before we took this step, we ran a number of pilots to confirm that this approach would be safe, practical and effective. Thanks to the dedication of many Pret Team Members, we have been able to show that full ingredient labelling is operationally possible in small kitchens when proper care is taken,” the spokesperson said.
