§ 23. Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will appoint a working party to examine existing coding systems for perishable foodstuffs and to advise on the desirability or otherwise of compulsory date-coding.
§ Mr. HoyNo, Sir. There may well be scope for useful discussions between food manufacturers and distributors, some of whom already operate voluntary systems of date coding. But as my right hon. Friend is satisfied that this should not be made a compulsory requirement it would not be appropriate for him to intervene.
§ Mrs. ButlerIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is probably greater public anxiety about stale sausages and meat pies and other perishable food than about almost any other food problem? Since 1332 he has turned down both compulsory date-stamping and compulsory coding, what does he propose to do to make sure that the practice of the best manufacturers is extended to the worst?
§ Mr. HoyI agree with my hon. Friend. She knows that the Food Standards Committee already advises us on matters of food labelling, and it has said that date marking is not practicable. The answer is efficient management and restocking. If this were done, I should have thought that the consumer would have no danger to face from any food which he or she might buy.
§ Miss QuennellWhat does the Ministry propose to do to encourage the efficient restocking of shops so that consumers do not get stale sausages?
§ Mr. HoyI am sure that the hon. Lady knows that we have had conversations, which are continuing, with the food manufacturers, and we try to impress on them the necessity for efficient restocking. Whether food is date stamped or not, if they do not take the elementary precaution of proper restocking there is very little that we can do by legislation. At the end of the day, the food consumer has the protection of other legislation.