Will the First Minister state what measures the Welsh Government will take to ensure that every product consisting of unsustainable palm oil is clearly labelled?
Palm oil is used widely throughout the food industry and other manufacturing sectors because of its versatile chemical properties and lower cost than alternatives. Awareness has risen greatly amongst consumers and industry about the impact of unsustainably produced palm oil and the need to address this. In response palm oil producers and users have created industry bodies to secure and promote sustainable production. The Welsh Government welcomes these steps and would encourage manufacturers and retailers to join them.
Food labelling requirements are set by European regulations. There are no current plans to review policy for mandatory food labelling with the current focus being on ensuring the ongoing operability of the regulatory system post-EU exit.
By becoming members of schemes that promote the sustainable production of palm oil, manufacturers are able to display a logo on their products that clearly identifies that ingredients derived from palm oil are from sustainable sources. Displaying these logos on a voluntary basis is permissible under current labelling laws. The Welsh Government encourages food manufacturers to use sustainable palm oil from these accredited sources.