§ 34. Mr. F. Macleanasked the Minister of Food for a statement regarding the 500,000 gallons of concentrated orange juice recently purchased by his Department and now found to be unsuitable for the use for which it was intended.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeCertain shipments of concentrated orange juice from Sicily bought by my Department in 1951 for the Welfare Scheme were found, contrary to specification, to contain an added preservative. While this is common commercial practice, its effect, in the containers used in this case, was to make the juice unsuitable for issue under the Welfare Scheme. The juice is now being reconditioned in accordance with advice from the British Food Manufacturing Industries Research Association. Analysis of the reconditioned juice 965 by the research associations, the Government Chemist and chemists drawn from the trade discloses no harmful substances and it is therefore being offered for sale.
§ Mr. MacleanCan my right hon. and gallant Friend say whether his Department have had any offers?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNone, Sir, up-to-date.