§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that cream sold commercially to the public is subject to the same standards of bacteriological control as milk.
§ Mr. HoyThe Milk and Dairies (General) Regulations, 1959, make full provision for protecting milk (which by definition includes cream) from infection, and lay down stringent conditions of safety and hygiene relating specifically to the cleanliness of those handling milk and cream as well as the premises and equipment used and the practices involved.
I have therefore nothing to add to the statement which I made in reply to Questions on 15th May.—[Vol 764, c. 1195–6.]
§ Mr. Geoffrey Lloydasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to ensure that all cream containers are clearly dated so that the consumer may know when the cream was prepared.
§ Mr. HoyThe question of date-stamping was carefully considered before the Labelling of Food Regulations, 1967, were made. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that for cream as for other foods the balance of advantage is against compulsory date-stamping.
Mr. Geoffrey Llovdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 98W whether he will take steps to ensure that all retailers of cream receive expert advice from his Department on the most efficient and hygienic way of storing it.
§ Mr. HoyI would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the statement I made in reply to Questions on 15th May. The code of hygienic practice for cream production, distribution and handling which was drawn up by the Milk and Milk Products Technical Advisory Committee has been widely adopted by the dairy trade.—[Vol. 764, c. 1195–6.]
§ Mr. Geoffrey Lloydasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to ensure that all cream intended for human consumption is subjected to bacteria-destroying heat treatment in its preparation.
§ Mr. HoyNo. As I said in reply to Questions on 15th May, my right hon. Friend and his right hon. Friend the Minister of Health are advised that cream has a good record as a safe food. Pasteurisation itself is no guarantee of the safety of a product; in recent cases of alleged contamination of cream there is strong circumstantial evidence that the cause is faulty conditions and methods of handling after heat treatment.— [Vol. 764, c. 1195–6.]