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19
WQ.265/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE
MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, SPORT AND CULTURE BY DEPUTY C.S. ALVES OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 18th JUNE 2019
Question
Further to the recent States' agreement that there exists a climate change emergency and the Assembly's decision to work to reduce carbon emissions, and in light of the impact of the palm oil industry on deforestation, will the Minister consider introducing requirements for clear labelling in Jersey of all products containing palm oil?
Answer
The Assistant Minister ( Deputy Tadier ) and I are both very supportive of (i) Unsustainably sourced palm oil consumption and usage being phased out and (ii) consumers continuing to be able to make informed choices, generally, including when it comes to products that contain palm oil. We would be happy to meet with Deputy Alves to discuss this matter further. In the meantime, the current position is as follows:
The majority of goods in the Island are imported from within the European Union (EU). Within the EU, pre-packaged food has to contain lists of ingredients. Palm oil is a very productive crop meaning anything replacing it would have to use more land. Instead of banning it, the EU want to ensure sources are ethical and sustainable. Following the introduction of EU legislation on food information to consumers, palm oil' should now be indicated and not described under more generic titles such as vegetable oil'.
Responsibility for food labelling rests with Environmental Health and the Minister for the Environment. An update to the Food Safety (Jersey) Law 1966 is currently being drafted. It is envisaged that any subordinate legislation would reflect the EU position. There is currently no intention to introduce Jersey legislation that goes beyond any EU position as it would severely restrict imports and therefore significantly reduce consumer choice.