§ Mr. Cohenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to the answer of 15 December, Official Report, column 365, what are the details of the programme of research into the detection of noxious substances in the food chain.
§ Mr. GummerResearch is being carried out into the detection of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the food chain by the Steering Group on Food Surveillance through its working party on organic environmental contaminants in food. The laboratory work is being carried out at MAFF food science laboratory where methods of analysis for these compounds in foodstuffs are being developed with the following aims. For the methods of analysis to be of value, they must be capable of detecting 0.001 microgram of each substance in one kilogram of foodstuff. In order to provide meaningful information the methods of analysis must be capable of detecting these substances in a range of foodstuffs including milk, eggs, fish and animal fat. The methods of analysis should also be more rapid than those presently available.