§ Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Food whether he will take steps to change the misleading quality descriptions of home-produced jams and adopt, instead, the practice applied to other commodities of designating quality by grade numbers.
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§ Colonel LlewellinNo, Sir. I cannot agree that these descriptions, which are related to the standards laid down in the First Schedule of the Jam and Marmalade (Maximum Prices) Order, 1942, S.R. and O. 1942, No. 2482, are misleading. They are similar to those which were in use before the war for similar types of jam and no useful purpose would be served by altering them.
§ Mr. Parkerasked the Minister of Food what are the prescribed percentages of the the ingredients of jams described as conforming to the special, full and fresh fruits standards; and which of these descriptions represents the highest and lowest quality, respectively.
Colonel Llwellin"Special standard" is a description applied to certain marmalade only. Among other requirements it must be made with not less than 30 per cent. of fruit. The minimum fruit contents prescribed for the different varieties of jam are the same whether it is described as "full fruit standard" or "fresh fruit standard." The difference is that "fresh fruit standard" jam must be made from fresh fruit, while "full fruit standard" jam may be made with fruit that has been preserved. The percentages required range from 20 to 40 according to variety. They are set out in detail in the First Schedule to the current Price Order, No. 2482 of 1942. As I recently announced, the minimum requirement of fruit in strawberry and gooseberry jams will be increased under a new Price Order shortly to be published.