Nutrition And The Health Claims Regulation

EDM number 326 in 2010-12, proposed by Philip Davies on 24/06/2010.
Categorised under the topics of EU law and treaties and Service industries.

That this House notes that the UK natural health products industry currently faces a grave threat both to its businesses and consumer choices from the unforeseen impact of implementation of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, which governs the application of nutrition and health claims of all food products; further notes that despite the initial expectations of the Food Standards Agency over 95 per cent. of claims based on generally accepted scientific evidence are likely to receive negative opinions; expresses disappointment that the European Food Safety Authority has insisted on using an inappropriate pharmaceutical model to assess such health claims as fair despite the stated aims of the legislation; further notes its disappointment that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were not provided with any guidance as on how to submit such claims and consequently were unable to comply with unforeseen criteria; expresses concern about the serial adoption of these claims, causing commercial disadvantage to those manufacturers whose claims happen to be in the early batches; further notes the disproportionate and unforeseen effect on SMEs and the restrictions put on consumer information by this legislation; and calls on the Government to take action to defend the interests of British businesses and consumers.

This motion has been signed by a total of 20 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.