December 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will examine the future for food labelling in the UK.
The discussion is bringing together stakeholders with key policy officials due to attend from Defra; DHSC; the FCDO; DIT; the FSA; POST; DAERA, NI; Food Standards Scotland; The Scottish Government; the Welsh Government; the National Food Crime Unit; the Government Legal Department; and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, ROI.
The agenda:
- The current landscape for food labelling in the UK
- Emerging issues for front of pack labelling
- Policy priorities - the Obesity Strategy, the National Food Strategy and front-of-pack nutrition labelling
- Ensuring consumer safety - improving food standards and implementing Natasha’s Law
- Case study - adapting labelling guidance to support flexibility in the food chain during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Developing an international standard for food labelling online
- Food labelling and the future trading relationships - geographical indicators, health marks and claims, organic standards, and the UK internal market
A scan of relevant developments:
- UK transition:
- EC looking to legislate for a harmonised front-of-pack labelling scheme
- concerns around the potential impact a US trade deal could have on food labelling regulations in the UK, including questions raised over the future food standards in response to the rejection of an amendment to the Agriculture Bill to stop lower-standard imports
- New rules and logos to protect British food and drink - set to replace EU schemes at the end of the Transition Period, which will include logos to guarantee authenticity for certified products, marking Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indications (PGI)
- New voluntary calorie guidelines to help industry tackle obesity - Government encouraging the food industry to adopt calorie reduction guidelines
- Front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the UK: building on success - the government consultation on front-of-pack nutrition labelling schemes, seeking views on: whether front-of-pack schemes should reflect the Government’s latest dietary advice on sugar and fibre
- Natasha’s Law - requiring food businesses to include full ingredients labelling on pre-packed for direct sale foods, with changes due to be introduced in October 2021
- further policy initiatives - Tackling obesity, PHE’s Commercial infant and baby food and drink: evidence review, the Select Committee on Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment’s Hungry for Change: fixing the failures in food report, and Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020
Areas for discussion:
- Tackling obesity - the new government strategy and its implications for food labelling, with plans for:
- consultation - Front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the UK: building on success, as well as views expected to be sought on marketing and labelling of infant foods
- hospitality - introduction of calorie labelling for food sold in large restaurants, takeaways and cafes
- alcohol - consulting on the inclusion of calorie labelling on alcohol products
- HFSS marketing - restrictions on the promotion of high fat, sugar and salt products within stores and their advertisement online and on TV
- further possible developments - allergens, country of origin, and sustainability labelling
- the COVID-19 pandemic - the sector’s response and approach to supporting food supply
- The end of the transition period:
- UK choices - the impact of future trade deals on UK food labelling going forward, and opportunities and challenges of any divergence on the future relationship with the EU
- impact - what any potential changes mean for UK food and drink businesses including health marks and claims, origin labelling, organic standards and geographical indicators
- geographical indicators - the effect of introduction of new TSG, PDO and PGI schemes, and issues for their implementation, marketing and enforcement
- NI - implications for products sold in Northern Ireland, including:
- concerns around additional costs for complying with new regulatory border checks
- EU labelling requirements for UK food businesses to include names and addresses of EU importers on pre-packed food labels
- the UK internal market white paper - possibility of food labelling powers for Scotland and Wales, and what it would mean for consumers, suppliers and other stakeholders
- reform to FOPL and other areas of labelling:
- looking at products sold both within and outside the UK internal market, allergens, consumer protection and clarity to address health inequalities, healthy choices and particular areas of focus including calories and sugar, infant nutrition, alcohol, and novel food products
- Natasha’s Law - challenges and next steps for food and drink businesses in meeting requirements before it is introduced
- calls for the food industry to develop carbon footprint labelling to improve public knowledge of the environmental impact of food products
- National Food Strategy:
- truthfulness - the call in Part One for industry to address use of misleading language on packaging, exaggerated health claims or information omitted about natural ingredients with high sugar levels
- the Obesity Strategy:
- public health messaging - effective strategies for utilising front of packaging food labels to encourage people to make healthy choices
- alcohol calorie labelling - the impact it would have on public health, consumers and the sector
- engagement and compliance - options for supporting the food and drink industry to implement commitments within the strategy
- informed decisions - ensuring people understand upcoming changes in food labelling and that they can benefit from any reforms
- Out of home:
- reform - government confirming in its consultation response that it will legislate to introduce mandatory calorie labelling on food and drink for large businesses such as pubs and restaurants
- issues for the hospitality industry - as they also deal with restrictions and new procedures put in place as part of the response to COVID-19
- Online:
- priorities for improving the labelling of food and drink products online and protecting consumers, with the UK due to present an international standard for online sales to the Codex Committee on Food Labelling later this year
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders.
This one looks no different. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from both Houses of Parliament and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, as well as officials from Defra; DHSC; the Food Standards Agency; the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Food Standards Scotland; The Scottish Government; the Welsh Government; the National Food Crime Unit; the Department for International Trade; the Government Legal Department; and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (ROI).
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
