Food Labelling Bill

House of Commons

Session 2005 - 06
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Food Labelling Bill

Food Labelling Bill

Contents
1
Establishment of traffic light scheme for food labelling
2
Restriction on the effect of community instrument
3
Amendment of the Food Safety Act 1990
4
Interpretation
5
Short title, commencement and extent

Bill 216
54/1

Food Labelling Bill
1

A
Bill
To
Introduce a uniform system for the labelling of food and drinks retailed in
England and Wales to show the quantity of salt, sugar and fats they contain;
and for connected purposes.
Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1
Establishment of traffic light scheme for food labelling
(1)
The Secretary of State shall make regulations by statutory instrument (“the
regulations”) to establish a uniform system for the labelling of food to show the
quantity of salt, sugar and fats that they contain, by means of a colour coding
scheme (“the traffic light scheme”).
5
(2)
The regulations shall make provision for the enforcement of the traffic light
scheme.
(3)
The regulations shall apply to England and Wales only.
(4)
The Secretary of State shall, in relation to Scotland, consult with Scottish
Ministers and, in relation to Northern Ireland, consult with those persons he
10
thinks fit, about extending the traffic light scheme to Scotland and Northern
Ireland.
(5)
No regulations shall be made under this Act unless a draft of the statutory
instrument containing them has been laid before and approved by a resolution
of each House of Parliament.
15
2
Restriction on the effect of community instrument
Notwithstanding the provisions of the European Communities Act 1972 (c.
68)—
(a)
Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of Member States
20
relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs
(“the instrument”), and

Bill 216 54/1

Food Labelling Bill
2

(b)
any judgment of the European Court of Justice relating to the
instrument,
shall not have effect in the United Kingdom, in so far as they provide that only
those aspects of food labelling referred to in the instrument are compulsory.
3
Amendment of the Food Safety Act 1990
5
(1)
The Food Safety Act 1990 (c. 16) is amended as follows.
(2)
In section 17 (Enforcement of Community provisions) after subection (1) there
is inserted—
“(1A)
Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of Member States
10
relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs
(“the instrument”) is not a Community obligation for the purposes of
this section in so far as it provides that only those aspects of food
labelling referred to in the instrument are compulsory.”.
4
Interpretation
15
In this Act—
“fats” has the meaning given by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (SI
1996/1499);
“food” has the meaning given by the Food Safety Act 1990;
“salt” has the same meaning as in the Food Labelling Regulations 1996;
20
“sugar” has the meaning given by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996.
5
Short title, commencement and extent
(1)
This Act may be cited as the Food Labelling Act 2006.
(2)
This Act shall come into force on a day three months after the day of Royal
Assent.
25
(3)
This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

Food Labelling Bill

A
Bill
To Introduce a uniform system for the labelling of food and drinks retailed in
England and Wales to show the quantity of salt, sugar and fats they contain;
and for connected purposes.

Ordered to be brought in by Mr David Amess,

  Dr Richard Taylor, Mr Ronnie Campbell,

Sandra Gidley, Dr Howard Stoate, Bob Russell,

Jim Dowd, Charlotte Atkins, David Taylor,

  Mike Penning, Jeremy Corbyn and

Dr Doug Naysmith.

Ordered, by The House of Commons,

to be Printed, 18th July 2006.

© Parliamentary copyright House of Commons 2006

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