FSA News Item, 30 September 2010

FSA - Transfer of nutrition policy to health departments

Responsibility for nutrition policy will transfer tomorrow (1 October) from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health in England and to the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales.

These changes will mean that the health departments in these countries will be responsible for:

• nutritional labelling
• nutrition and health claims, dietetic food and food supplements
• calorie information in catering establishments
• reformulation to reduce salt, saturated fat and sugar levels in food and reducing portion size (including in catering)
• nutrition advice, surveys and nutrition research

The Department of Health will also be responsible for supporting the work of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

In England, the transfer to Defra of food labelling and food composition policy (where not related to nutrition or food safety) has already taken place.

The devolved administrations are considering whether they want to make any other alterations to their current arrangements for food policy

See also:

• 30 September 2010 FSA/DoH - Nutrition policy moves to the Department of Health