Question reference: S6W-08703
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 24 May 2022
-
Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 June 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing mandatory braille labelling on food products.
Answer
The majority of food law which applies in Scotland stems from European Union legislation and after an extensive process to ensure that it remains operational after the UK’s departure from the EU, the detail of the requirements remains in place.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has responsibility for the policies surrounding food labelling in Scotland and are currently working closely with policy officials across GB in the day to day business in this respect.
While there is no timescale at present, in due course, the food labelling legislation will be subject to review, which is likely to be a significant task and will need to be informed by EU developments on food information. During the review process consideration will be given to which areas and policy approaches are appropriate for Scotland and in a GB context this will also include England and Wales. Policy considerations are expected to include mandatory braille labelling and/or how the use of barcoded food information and new technology could help in this area.