§ Mr. GillTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take in the light of the recommendations of the food advisory committee in its review of the colouring matter in food regulations.
§ Mr. MacleanMy colleagues and I accept the view of the food advisory committee that food colours have a role in providing consumers with a choice of attractively presented foods. We also accept the committee's recommendations. We therefore intend to issue detailed proposals for public comment as quickly as possible to:
- i. restrict the amount of colour in food by setting maximum levels for all permitted colours;
- ii. prohibit or restrict certain colours which are currently permitted in food.
Implementation of a number of the specific recommendations would first require amendment to EC legislation and we will be discussing these with our European partners as appropriate. I will also encourage our EC partners to adopt the same approach to colours in Community legislation. The FAC made 25 recommendations in all, and I have placed in the Library of the House a detailed statement of how we intend to deal with each of them.
Copies of the committee's final report on the review of the Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1973, published by HMSO in 1987, have already been placed in the Library of the House. The committee's response to comments received on that final report has been published by my Department today and I have also arranged for copies of this to be placed in the Library.