§ Mr. WarrenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research Her Majesty's Government are sponsoring into alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonNone. Although one chlorofluorocarbon (dichlorodifluoromethane) is currently permitted as a food contact freezant under the Miscellaneous Additives in Food Regulations 1980, its usage is very small, and alternative liquid freezants (carbon dioxide and nitrogen) are already permitted by the same regulations. The latter materials are already used preferentially by quick-frozen food manufacturers, as the processes utilising them are both more cost-effective and environmentally acceptable.