HC Deb 19 March 1951 vol 485 cc230-1W
87. Sir J. Mellor

asked the Minister of Food why he has, by Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 314, prescribed that in sausages, milk powder shall be deemed to be pork or beef within certain limits: and what warning he has given to purchasers in this respect that milk powder can now lawfully be sold as pork or beef.

Mr. F. Willey

At the request of the principal manufacturers my right hon. Friend agreed to allow the restoration of the pre-war practice of including milk powder in certain meat products. The meat content of sausages may now be lowered to prescribed limits when a stated proportion of milk powder is included. The manufacturers claim that their sausages will still have the same food value and will certainly have the same taste. My right hon. Friend accepts their experienced judgment in this matter. A Press notice was issued at the time the new Order was made and the information was widely published in the Press.

88. Sir J. Mellor

asked the Minister of Food why he has, by Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 314, prescribed that in sausages, vegetable fat shall be deemed to be beef within certain limits; and what warning he has given to purchasers in this respect that vegetable fat can now lawfully be sold as beef.

Mr. F. Willey

This provision, which has been in force since March, 1947 (and was, of course, announced in the usual way at the time) does not mean that vegetable fat may be sold as beef. It was introduced so as to enable manufacturers to use vegetable fat in beef sausages, within certain limits, as an alternative to animal fat when this was scarce.

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