HC Deb 02 February 1989 vol 146 cc342-3W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 23 January, column 411, he will indicate the sources of the evidence presented to his Department's expert group which suggested that the cook-chill meals produced would be safe and microbiologically sound.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

[holding answer 30 January 1989]: The expert group which recently reviewed the existing guidelines considered published and unpublished papers on the microbiological safety of the system, including papers on low temperature pathogens.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 23 January, column 411, there was any evaluation of cook-chill catering in relation to possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Security between 1970 and 1980.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

[holding answer 30 January 1989]: The expert group which produced the cook-chill catering guidelines between 1977 and 1980 did not evaluate possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs. At that time there was, and there remains, no evidence to indicate that the recommendations in the guidelines would lead to problems from listeria monocytogenes or other pathogenic psychrotrophs.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has prepared draft regulations to cover cook-chill food at retailing outlets; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

[holding answer 31 January 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) and my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 23 January 1989 at columns 410–11 and 27 January at column 801.