§ 93. Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on the report of the Foods Standards Committee on date stamping of foodstuffs.
§ 94. Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the report of the Food Standards Committee on the date stamping of perishable foods.
§ Mr. PriorThe Food Standards Committee Report on the Date Marking of Food is published today and copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library. The Committee's main recommendation is that a system of open date marking for prepacked foods should be introduced by regulations to be made under the Food and Drugs Act, 1955 and corresponding legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This is an important subject of much interest both to consumers and the food trade. I am sure that the detailed and clear analysis of the issue in the Food Standards Committee's Report will provoke an informed debate over the coming months in the light of which my colleagues and I will reach decisions. In accordance with the usual practice, I 156W have invited comments from interested parties on the Committee's Report to reach me by 31st October, 1972.