There is currently no evidence to suggest that El Nino will impact food security in the UK.
The reassurance comes from the Government as part of ongoing monitoring of the global weather phenomenon, which has the potential to disrupt food supplies.
El Nino is caused by sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rising 0.5C above the long-term average.
It is forecast to reach more than 3C in the coming months, making this year’s event the largest since the 19th century.
Lord Katz, speaking on behalf of the Government, said: "There is no current evidence that this event will lead to food security issues for the UK though, of course, we continue to assess emerging evidence and forecasts as well as industry intelligence."
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is working closely with the Met Office to assess the possible impact of what has been described as an "unprecedented" El Nino event.
El Nino typically increases the risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa, and north-east Australia, while north-western Europe, including the UK, is expected to see wetter and stormier conditions during autumn and early winter.
Lord Katz confirmed that the Government will launch a public information campaign later this year to advise people on how to prepare for power cuts or storms.
Concerns have been raised in the House of Lords about the potential impact on food supplies and the Government’s level of preparedness.
Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in Northern Ireland, said: "Only last week, the secretary general of the United Nations indicated that the El Nino effect will have been more pronounced in the next few months, and will have direct implications for food security.
"I know, and I welcome the fact that our Labour Government has been working on that multi-departmental approach to dealing with the impact of climate change."
She also asked when the Government would unveil its 2026 strategy to align the UK more closely with the EU on emergency preparedness, including measures to protect food security and support rural communities.
Lord Harris of Haringey, chair of the National Preparedness Commission, expressed doubts about the Government’s position.
He said: "I have to say I am slightly disconcerted by the assumption that somehow this will not have an impact on food supplies because directly, and indirectly, it will."
Lord Katz acknowledged that there may be some disruption to supply chains but emphasised that there is currently no broader threat to food security.
He said: "(I’m) not saying there won’t be any impact on supply chains but, in terms of wider food security, I think we can have at the moment a greater certainty around the evidence there will be an impact."
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Grender also pressed the Government for details on its risk assessment.
She said: "Given the UN’s warning that 50 million people worldwide face acute hunger from this super El Nino, what assessment has the Government made specifically of risk to British food security?"
Lord Katz replied: "As we currently stand, the intelligence that we have is that there is no impact or evidence that the El Nino event will lead to food security issues for the UK."
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle recently wrote in The Guardian that people should begin storing food for "emergencies."
Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, said last month that he had "never seen an El Nino signal this intense."
Concerns remain that the phenomenon could lead to higher food prices or reduced availability of certain products.
However, the Government maintains that current modelling does not show any impact on the UK’s ability to access food.
