§ 41. Dr Strossasked the Minister of Food what limit is now fixed by his regulations upon the fruit content of strawberry jam and raspberry jam, respectively.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThere is no limit on the maximum fruit content of any jam. The minimum is at present 37½ per cent. for strawberry jam and 25 per cent. for raspberry jam, but the new Order, which comes into force for sales by manufacturers on 1st September, 1953, raises these percentages to 38 and 30 respectively.
§ Dr. StrossWould it be fair to say, then, that when the new Order comes into force jam will be roughly of the type that we used to have pre-war?
§ Major Lloyd Georgeindicated assent.
§ 42. Dr. Strossasked the Minister of Food how much vitamin C is found in 1 lb. of strawberry jam of the full fruit standard; how much in 1 lb. of the type named "Fresh Fruit Standard"; and how much in an equivalent amount of fruit actually fresh.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe average vitamin C content of strawberry jam is 16 milligrams per lb. The corresponding value of the fresh strawberries used in the preparation of a pound of jam is 96 milligrams. No separate figures are available for strawberry jam of full fruit and fresh fruit standard.
§ Dr. StrossWould the Minister accept that all the evidence we have available is that what is called "Full Fruit Standard," namely, sulphided pulp, mostly imported from abroad, stained brown, which has to be cleared by boiling, and then dyed again by artificial dyes, does not contain much protective substance in the form of vitamin C? Will the Minister see that we cease to use sulphided pulp, forbid it. as we did before the war?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNo colouring matter which is injurious to health is allowed to be put into any jam. Sulphur dioxide disappears on boiling, I am told, and so, I regret to say, does a lot of the vitamin C.
§ Dr. StrossThat is the point.
§ Mr. ChampionHow much vitamin C is there in the wooden pips?