§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what action he intends to take (a) to inform the public of the extent to which damage to health may be caused by certain food additives and (b) to introduce further legislation to prevent the use of additives that are toxic to humans, carcinogenic or otherwise damaging;
(2) what study he is making of the effect on health of food additives, including preservatives applied to meat, fish and cheese products and colourings and flavourings.
§ Mr. John PattenAll food sold or offered for sale in England and Wales is subject to the provisions of the Food Act 1984, which requires, amongst other things, that no substances shall be added to food so as to render it harmful to the health of the general consumer. In addition, regulations which apply under the Act control particular classes of additive or the composition of particular foodstuffs and list the substances which are permitted, specifying where appropriate the conditions under which they may be used and maximum levels of use. The Government are advised on matters relating to additives in food by the food advisory committee. The FAC seeks the advice of the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment regarding potential health hazards. In making its recommendations to the FAC, the COT takes account of all the available toxicological evidence, including the fact that some people may suffer adverse reaction from the ingestion of a particular substance.
The use of permitted additives is kept under continuous review and the Government maintain a close watch on new reports of animal toxicity or of ill-effects in people attributed to food additives which have been approved for use. Where appropriate, such reports are referred to our independent expert advisory committees for their views. Certain additives may adversely affect some individuals with metabolic disorders or those who are particularly sensitive. These individuals constitute only a very small proportion of the population and are usually aware of their sensitivity. Under the Food Labelling Regulations 1984, all additives, except flavourings which present special labelling problems, must be specifically identified by name or serial number in the ingredients list on prepackaged foods by 1 July 1986. Thus people will be able to avoid foods containing additives that they know will affect them adversely.