ENVIRONMENT Minister Steve Luce was again pressed in the States over delays to a law which will force restaurants and retailers to list potential allergens in products they sell to the public.
Deputy Luce was pressed on allergen laws by Deputy Catherine Curtis in the States Chamber and repeated his claim that the law would be passed in 2025.
He said that consultations were still taking place with retailers in the Island about the details.
Deputy Curtis said that ahead of the law being passed, the Island was relying on international legislation and that “this leaves a huge gap which could potentially result in injury or death to a local resident or a visitor”.
Deputy Luce said: “It’s unfortunate that we are not as up to speed as the UK and the EU, and while I don’t agree it’s a huge gap, it is a gap we are aiming to fill”.
Concerns around the slow progress made on plans to update the Island’s food law with comprehensive allergen labels have been growing.
In 2022, the government said that legislation setting out requirements for allergen labelling for hospitality businesses and other food providers would be brought forward by the end of the year.
But two years later, no concrete progress has been made.
Deputy Luce explained that the departure of specialist staff has delayed work in this area, but said that “discussions are expected shortly with the Legislative Drafting Office on the best approach to deliver the desired outcomes”.
This will then be encapsulated in law drafting instructions, which will be presented to key stakeholders and the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel.
Any subsequent revisions will then be incorporated into revised regulations, which will be lodged with the States Assembly for debate and approval.
It was announced in September that Jersey will host the Channel Islands’ first ever Food Allergy Conference later this year.
The event hopes to help improve the lives of Islanders impacted by food allergies amid the ongoing delays in local legislation. In a statement announcing the conference, the Jersey Food Allergy Group said: “The latest research indicates that around 6% of UK adults have a food allergy, with food allergy cases almost doubling over the last two decades.”
