§ Lord HOUGHTON of SOWERBYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What tests have been carried out to ensure that the veal calves bred under intensive unit conditions and which may have been injected, inoculated, and unnaturally fed, are fit for human consumption.
§ Lord STRABOLGIThe health of consumers of meat is safeguarded by statutory controls on the composition and sale of animal feedingstuffs and veterinary542WA medicines used in the rearing of livestock, including veal calves. All veal is inspected before it is certified fit for human consumption. The Food and Drugs Acts impose an obligation upon anyone selling food to ensure that it is of the nature, substance and quality demanded by the purchasers and that it is fit to eat. Local authorities have a duty to enforce these laws and have ample powers to take action to prevent any food, including veal, that is unfit to eat, from being sold for human consumption. Tests have been carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the nutritional value of intensively reared calves and I am advised that no nutritional problems arise.