§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take following the report of the Institute of Trading Standards and the Association of Public Analysts that pre-packed forms of ham and beef are being sold with excessive quantities of water for which customers are now paying as much as 15p per pound.
§ Mr. StrangWater in food was the subject of a report by the Food Standards Committee published on 15th May 1978. It recommended that added water, where appropriate, should be included in the list of ingredients for all pre-packed foods, including ham and beef.
Representations have been sought on this report. Further consideration is being given to the control of the use of water in meat products in the course of the Committee's current review of the Meat Products Regulations.