§ Mr. Freesonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence there is of the effects, including those on vitamins A, B and C, of irradiation on the constituents of treated food.
§ Mr. WhitneyI have been asked to reply.
This and other questions about the nutritional, microbiological and toxicological aspects of food irradiation will be studied by Health and Agriculture Ministers when they formally consider the advice on these matters contained in the "Report on the Safety and Wholesomeness of Irradiated Foods" by the Advisory Committee on Irradiated and Novel Foods. As was announced on 10 April when the report was published, Ministers will also take into account written comments on the report from interested organisations and individuals, and these should be received by this Department by the end of this month.