§ 4. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration has been given to the 3 deterioration of milk by the use of clear glass bottles, particularly when exposed to light and sun for long periods; and what are his regulations in this regard.
Mr. AmoryThere are no regulations about the colour of milk bottles. The matter has been considered by the Milk and Milk Products Technical Advisory Committee, which has expressed the view, which I have accepted, that there are no adequate grounds for regulations.
§ Mr. DoddsDoes the Minister agree or not that milk would retain its high food value better in coloured or other bottles than in clear glass bottles?
Mr. AmoryI think the hon. Member is right in thinking that. Milk would retain its riboflavin and vitamin C content better, both of which suffer from long exposure to the sun. Whether we get long exposure to the sun in this country is another question, but there are practical difficulties which I think make the hon. Gentleman's suggestion difficult to accept.
§ Mr. HastingsWould the right hon. Gentleman not agree that the very great advantage in having clear glass bottles was considered to be that those who purchased the milk can see more readily whether it is relatively clean or not?
Mr. AmoryThe hon. Member is quite right. I understand that that was one of the considerations in the minds of the Advisory Committee. Clear glass enables, for instance, foreign bodies in milk to be more readily spotted.