§ Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects to make regulations to ban the use of cyclamates in food and drink.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and I have now made the Artificial Sweeteners in Food Regulations, 1969 and the Soft Drinks (Amendment) Regulations, 1969. These prohibit the sale of any food or drink, including artificial sweetening tablets, containing cyclamates as from 1st January, 1970. They will be laid before the House and published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on 30th December.
The labels of soft drinks containing saccharin will be required to declare the presence of "saccharin" specifically. In order to provide the necessary time for labels to be changed, the term "permitted artificial sweetener" will be allowed until 31st December, 1970.
The labelling of foods, other than soft drinks, which contain saccharin will be dealt with in the new Labelling of Food Regulations which will be made shortly.