Chemicals: Safety
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide accessible scientific evidence to help ensure public confidence in food safety and environmental policy when new chemical additives are introduced.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
All food and feed additives permitted for use in the United Kingdom must undergo a comprehensive, evidence‑based safety assessment before approval. This process evaluates potential risks and ensures additives can only be used in specified food categories, at controlled levels, and with any necessary labelling requirements.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for assessing and authorising new additives and for reviewing changes to existing approvals. To support transparency and public confidence, the FSA publishes its scientific risk assessments and consults publicly on proposed authorisations so that stakeholders and consumers can provide their views before decisions are made.
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