Milk (Hansard, 8 January 2002)

§ Mrs. Ann Winterton
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on farm gate milk prices of change to the temperature attained in the pasteurisation of milk process. [23064]

§ Mr. Morley
I am not aware of any proposals to change the temperature required for the pasteurisation of milk. However, in a recent consultation paper on their draft strategy for the control of "Mycobacterium avium" subspecies "paratuberculosis" in cow's milk the Food Standards Agency proposed that the pasteurisation time for milk should be increased from 15 to 25 seconds. I understand that most liquid milk production in the UK is already pasteurised for 25 seconds. Accordingly, I would expect this proposal to have little effect on the farmgate price of milk.

§ Mrs. Ann Winterton
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and the Chairman of the Food Standards Agency on changes in the pasteurisation of milk process; and what recent representations she has received from milk producer organisations regarding proposed increases in the temperature attained in the pasteurisation of milk. [23063]

§ Mr. Morley
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health or the chairman of the Food Standards Agency on changes in the pasteurisation of milk process. Nor has she received any recent representations from milk producer organisations regarding proposed increases in the temperature attained in the pasteurisation of milk. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any proposals to change the temperature required for the pasteurisation of milk. However, a recent consultation paper on the Food Standards Agency draft strategy for the control of "Mycobacterium avium" subspecies "paratuberculosis" in cows' milk proposed that 749W pasteurisation time for milk should be increased from 15 to 25 seconds. This practice is already observed in most dairies.