§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list for each year since 1987 the number of incidents where monitoring has shown that safe levels of lubricant in food processing have been exceeded; [27957]
(2) if he will list those lubricants licensed for direct contact with food; [27958]
(3) if he will make a statement on the criteria that apply to (a) direct contact and (b) non-direct contact food lubricants in respect of animal fat content; [27959]
(4) if he will list those lubricants (a) licensed for use and (b) known to be used in the food industry; [27960]
(5) if he will make a statement about the (a) licensing, (b) safety and (c) toxicity of food lubricants. [27961]
§ Mr. RookerThe Government do not operate a product approval or licensing system for lubricants used by the food industry. All lubricants which contain mineral hydrocarbons are controlled, under the818W Mineral Hydrocarbons in Food Regulations 1966 (SI No. 1966/1073 as amended). These Regulations generally prohibit the direct or indirect use of mineral hydrocarbons in food, but recognise that contact between lubricants and food during processing is sometimes unavoidable. Food is therefore permitted to contain a very limited quantity of mineral hydrocarbon, as specified in the Regulations, arising as a result of such contact.
In the case of all other lubricants, public protection is afforded by the Food Safety Act 1990 which makes it an offence to sell food which is (i) injurious to health, (ii) not of the nature, substance or quality demanded, (iii) unfit for human consumption, or (iv) misleadingly or falsely labelled. Enforcement of the Act and the Regulations is the responsibility of local authorities.