The legislation is mainly a rewrite of the old Public Health Act, but includes a new section covering non-communicable diseases and conditions like diabetes and obesity.
It allows the Ministry of Health to regulate how fatty foods can be advertised or marketed, but only two years after the introduction of a voluntary code.
The National Party says it is regulation by stealth and another"nanny state" move by the Government.
The bill has been reported back by a select committee and Cunliffe said on Friday there was a broad consensus of support behind it.
He listed the Obesity Action Coalition, the Public Health Association, the Cancer Society and the Office of the Children's Commission among the organisations supporting it.
"The bill aims to reduce risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases because these are now the major cause of illness and death in society and have overtaken communicable diseases," he said.
"The regulatory provisions are there to encourage self-regulation and future-proof legislation that has not been changed since the 1950s.
"There is no plan to regulate anything as the regulatory codes are there as a backstop only."
Cunliffe said if any minister did want to regulate, they would require the approval of Cabinet, clear proof that self-regulation was not working and that there was no alternative.
"This is a very high bar to set for any future minister who was of a mind to regulate," he said.
