§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that the weight of added water involved in the preparation of poultry and other prepacked food has to be shown on the package; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. FennerThere are Community provisions covering the water content of frozen and deep frozen 7W chickens, cocks and hens. The Food Labelling Regulations 1980, which come fully into operation on 1 January 1983, require the labels of other foods containing added water to include it in the list of ingredients, unless it does not exceed 5 per cent. of the weight of the product. Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, but the actual weight of the ingredient does not have to be given.
My Department is at present discussing with all interested organisations proposals for new meat products regulations, which would require the amount of added water in meat to be declared.