HC Deb 18 March 1986 vol 94 cc144-5W
Mr. Coombs

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider implementing recommendations 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the report on water in food of the Food Standards Committee (1978).

Mrs. Fenner

The Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984, which come fully into effect on 1 July 1986, require that cooked and uncooked whole and cured meat should carry a declaration of maximum added water content, and corned beef an indication of its minimum corned beef content. These controls take into account the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee in its 1980 "Report on Meat Products", the Committee's earlier report on "Water in Food" and representations from interested parties.

The recommendations in the "Water in Food" report relating to fish products are among the issues currently being examined by the Food Advisory Committee in its review of coated fish products.

Mr. Coombs

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the average amount per capita of coal tar dyes (Azo dyes) consumed by (a) the general public and (b) children of five, 10 and 15 years of age.

Mrs. Fenner

There are 10 colours presently permitted in food in the United Kingdom which contain the "azo" chemical grouping. The total intakes of these in the United Kingdom have been estimated as

  1. (a) 20.9 mg per day for a typical 70 kg adult and
  2. (b) 29.2 mg per day for a typical 25 kg child.

The estimates of the intakes of colours by children were based on assumptions about energy intake and no estimates were made for children of different ages.