§ 7. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for a statement giving details of the experiments taking place under the sponsorship of his Department in connection with the treatment of meat with the drug aureomycin.
Mr. AmoryNo experiments on the treatment of meat with aureomycin are being sponsored by my Department. Research sponsored by a commercial firm is being conducted by the National College of Food Technology.
§ Mr. DoddsIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that a lot of things are being done these days by people who are concerned only with the making of profit? Will he not, in a matter of this sort take some interest and, if the practice is harmful to people, put a stop to it instead of waiting for years until complaints are made in this House about it?
Mr. AmoryAs I think the hon. Gentleman knows, the sale of meat containing aureomycin is at present a breach of the Public Health (Preservatives, etc., in Food) Regulations. I think he is also aware that the use of antibiotics as preservatives is a matter which is going to be considered by the Preservatives Sub-Committee of the Food Standards Committee in the course of its review of the present Regulations.