Airline Food (Safety)

HC Deb 06 April 1989 vol 150 cc289-90W

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has now received a copy of the report, "A Survey of Microbiological Quality of Airline February at columns 780–81 which provides details amongst others of research funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which is of relevance to the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health where his Department intends to conduct any further research into the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

I see no need at this stage to conduct further research into the microbiological quality of conventional cook-chill foods other than that already sponsored by Government.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to prevent cross-contamination in the preparation of cook-chill foods.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The guidance on proper time and temperature control and the separation of cooked and uncooked food during the production process in the existing guidelines are intended to reduce the microbiological contamination to a minimum.

I expect these points will be emphasised in the reviewed guidelines.