Ice-cream (Hansard, 10 February 1958)

§ 2. Lieut.-Commander Maydon
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the quantity of ice-cream manufactured and sold in the United Kingdom during 1957; what proportion of this was made of milk products; and what were the other ingredients and their proportions.

§ Mr. Godber
Ice-cream manufacturers are not required to make returns of output, but I am informed by the Wholesale Ice Cream Federation Limited and the Ice Cream Alliance that a reasonable estimate of output for 1957 would be 100 million gallons. All ice-cream must contain a minimum of 5 per cent. of fat, 7½ per cent. of milk solids other than fat, and 10 per cent. of sugar. But neither the actual amounts of these ingredients nor the amounts of milk products used in manufacture are known.

§ Lieut.-Commander Maydon
Would not my hon. Friend agree that most ice-cream sold in this country has really no relationship whatsoever to the cow? Would he not further agree that if his right hon. Friend could persuade the trade to increase the milk product content of ice-cream it would be one way of dealing with some of our surplus milk at the present time and would also reduce the balance of payments exchange on edible oils which have to be imported? Furthermore, would not my hon. Friend agree that under the Food and Drugs Act the Minister has powers to order that this product, if it continues to be constituted as it is at present, should be sold as iced edible oil and not as ice-cream?

§ Mr. Godber
I am interested in my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion as to the name, but I would remind him that my right hon. Friend is at the moment considering the Report of the Food Standards Committee on the matter and has asked for representations from a large number of people. I will see that my hon. and gallant Friend's views are borne in mind.

Mr. T. Williams
Will the Minister say of what the other 90 per cent. of ice-cream consists?

§ Mr. Godber
From the figures I gave, I do not think it is quite 90 per cent. As a matter of fact, in many cases considerably above the minimum is put in, but, as I have said, my right hon. Friend is considering the matter in relation to the Report.