§ 42. Sir BASIL PETOasked the Minister of Health whether he has any information as to the percentage of 1800 chemical preservatives used in strawberry fruit pulp imported from Soviet Russia last year and the sanitary conditions under which this was produced?
§ Mr. GREENWOODUnder the Public Health (Preservatives in Food) Regulations, strawberry fruit pulp must not contain more than 2,000 parts of sulphur dioxide per million, and I have no information to show that this proportion was exceeded in any consignment imported from Soviet Russia last year. As stated in the answer given to the hon. Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Smithers) on the 27th instant, I have no information as to the sanitary conditions under which Russian fruit pulp is produced, but the pulp is subject to examination in this country under the Imported Food Regulations and may be destroyed if it is found to be unsound or otherwise unfit for human consumption.
§ Sir B. PETODuring the last season, were steps regularly taken to ascertain what percentage of preservative there was in this imported food?
§ Mr. GREENWOODA large number of samples were examined which might have come from Russia and all were found to contain less than 2,000 parts per million.
§ Mr. HARDIEWhat steps are taken by the Department to give a definite guarantee as to what is the period of time after the addition of the poison in which it is capable of being used as fit for consumption?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI am afraid we cannot go into that. We can only satisfy ourselves that, when it is imported, it is not in a state unfit for human consumption.
§ Mr. HARDIEThe very fact that you have added a preservative and, on arrival at the port after a week or so in the ship, while you may examine it on arrival, the moment the examination takes place—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis appears to be information that is being given, and not a question.