§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give additional powers to local authorities to allow them to deal more effectively with listeria-contaminated food;
(2) if he will issue clear guidelines on the level of listeria contamination which makes food unfit;
300W(3) when his Department was first notified of listeria-contaminated pate being imported into Britain; when he issued warnings; and what was the reason for the delay.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 18 July 1989]: While local authorities already have powers under the Food Act 1984 to deal with food contamination, we are proposing measures in a new Food Bill which will strengthen these powers.
In a report "Foodborne Listeriosis" published in 1988, the World Health Organisation concluded:
Virtually nothing is known about the infectious dose of Listeria monocytogenes in man, nor is there good quantitative information relating to the amount of contaminated foodstuff ingested with the risk of acquiring disease. It is likely that infectious dose may be related to host susceptibility.We understand that this conclusion is shared by experts in this country. Hence we have no sound scientific basis upon which to issue guidelines on dangerous levels of Listeria monocytogenes in foods.On 30 June 1989, the Department was informed of the results of a survey of pates which had been carried out in two districts in Wales. At that time, the problem appeared to be mainly one of poor handling in the local stores and our understanding was that appropriate advice had been given to the supermarkets concerned by the local environmental health officers, in particular about the correct storage temperature and handling of paté. There was nevertheless the possibility that there might be a more general problem with patés. Arrangements were made for a nationwide survey, by the public health laboratory service, of all types of paté on sale in England and Wales. The EC and Belgian authorities were alerted and asked to inspect the Belgian factories. In the light of further evidence received by the Department from one of the importers on the evening of 11 July, the public were alerted on 12 July that certain vulnerable groups should for the time being avoid eating paté.