§ Mr. Wiliam Priceasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is available to his inspectors regarding experiments on the hypothalamus of geese which result in a constant appetite, with the object of enlarging the liver for the production of paté-defoié-gras, and similar operations on pigs; and whether he will seek powers to forbid such operations in this country and the import of food produced by this means.
§ Mr. Peter MillsI understand that experiments may have been carried out in France to investigate the control of appetite by the hypothalamus; but no details are available. In this country scientific research has been done on the hypothalamic control of appetite in pigs but not with commercial application as its objective. Research for the sole purpose of devising more commercially attractive means of producing paté-de-foie-gras would not be authorised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
It would be impracticable to impose a ban on the import of paté-de-foie-gras produced by any particular means, as such a product could not be identified on entry to this country.