§ 16. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect to the recommendations of the sub-committee of the Food Standards Committee on colouring substances in food.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. D. Heathcoat Amory)Yes, Sir. The Government have decided to accept the recommendation that only certain specified colours should be permitted in food, and that these should be the colours proposed by the Food Standards Committee. I will circulate a more detailed statement in the OFFICIAL RFPORT.
§ Mr. DoddsWhile thanking the Minister for his statement and while waiting to read it, may I ask whether in the meantime there will be a ban on painting kippers with coal-tar dye?
Mr. AmoryNo, the recommendation of the Food Standards Committee was that the dyeing of kippers, provided that the dyes were not harmful, should not be restricted.
§ Following is the information:
§ The Government have considered these recommendations and the views of interested parties. They accept the recommendation that only certain specified colours should be permitted in food and that the permitted list should at present be limited to the colours proposed in the Food Standards Committee's Supplementary Report. The list as a whole will be reviewed in not more than 5 years' time. Meanwhile, the Government will be prepared to consider individual colours for addition to or removal from the list if further information becomes available; the procedure will be announced later. The Government will arrange for certain colours which traders regard as important but which on present information the Committee have not been able to include in the list, to be investigated further as a matter of priority.
§ The Government accept the recommendation that, except for marking purposes, colour should not be added to certain natural foods when sold raw or unprocessed. Special arrangements will, however, be made for citrus fruit in view of the difficulties of West Indian and other suppliers whose produce, because of climatic conditions, often does not ripen with a uniform appearance. These arrangements will permit the continued use of a colour on citrus fruit subject to safeguards for the consumer. The Committee's recommendations regarding the labelling or description of processed foods containing added colour will be considered when a comprehensive review of the Labelling of Food Order is undertaken.
§ The Government have decided that specifications of purity should be prescribed for colours on the permitted list. Colour manufacturers and the other interests concerned will be consulted about the arrangements required.
§ Regulations giving effect to these decisions will apply to all food whether home produced or imported, and will be made as soon as practicable. In deciding when they will come into effect, the Government will bear in mind the need to give manufacturers and traders time to dispose of stocks of food produced in accordance with existing regulations. But the Government hope that all who can do so will take steps immediately to use only colours on the permitted list.