§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will describe the effects of the tenderiser papain on the organs of a living animal.
§ Mr. MacleanResearch carried out by the Ministry has established that the tenderiser has no effect on the living animal. In the event of a delay between treatment and slaughter the enzyme is excreted harmlessly.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what evidence he has on the presence of residues of the tenderiser papain in partly cooked/rare meat;
(2) what information he has on the presence of residues of the tenderiser papain in butchers' meat.
§ Mr. MacleanTo be effective, papain must be present in the meat during cooking. It is introduced at levels of less than five parts per million. Cooking activates and then destroys the enzyme. It is a natural vegetable protein approved as safe for use in food by the United Kingdom's expert advisory committees.