HC Deb 25 October 1990 vol 178 cc308-9W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list any other research and development projects he is planning to cut other than those carried out under the Barnes review; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

The content of my Department's research and development programme is subject to continuous review and adjustment as projects are completed and new work commenced in the light of current priorities. The level of funding of research and development by my Department is substantial and is set at £121 million this year.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline his methods for deciding which research projects are categorised as near-market; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

In general, projects are categorised as near-market if they offer the prospect of commercial application or exploitation whether as a product, process or system within a short enough time scale to justify investment by industry. Such near-market work is most appropriately funded by industry since it is the direct beneficiary and therefore better placed to judge priorities.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the research projects that have been closed or are due to be closed as a result of the Barnes review; if he will indicate in each case which year they are to be closed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

A comprehensive list is not available and can be produced only at disproportionate cost. The following two lists provide details of projects in the fisheries and food sectors which have been identified as near-market research for which funding by my Department has been, or is being, phased out in line with Government policy.

List 1

Projects for Termination in 1990

  1. 1. Effects of Frozen Storage on quality and processing meat.
  2. 2. Carcase characteristics that determine value.
  3. 3. Effects of poultry breeding, husbandry, handling and processing on carcase composition and quality.
  4. 4. Flavour of cheese, fats, oils and confectionary.
  5. 5. Identify of flavours and taints resulting from processing, packaging and storage of cheese, fats, oils, confectionary and beverages.
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  6. 6. Factors controlling meat restructuring processes.
  7. 7. Protein solubilisation and adhesion in reformed meats.
  8. 8. Adhesions and cohesion in meat products.
  9. 9. Effects of breeding, husbandry and poultry plant operations on the further processing quality of turkey meat.
  10. 10. Crystallisation behaviour of triglyceride mixtures in bulk phase and emulsion systems.
  11. 11. Temperature and mass change in meat cooking.
  12. 12. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and accelerated ageing.
  13. 13. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and processing properties of beef, pork and poultry.
  14. 14. Industrial development and technology transfer.
  15. 15. Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in packaged fruit and vegetables.
  16. 16. Use of microbial enzymes for the upgrading of sugar beet.
  17. 17. Carcase composition and meat quality in cattle.
  18. 18. Carcase composition and meat quality in sheep.
  19. 19. Techniques for assessment of carcase composition.
  20. 20. Effects of pre-slaughter handling practices on value of carcase and fresh meat.
  21. 21. Microbial spoilage of packaged fish and shellfish.
  22. 22. Innovation of fish and shellfish products and relevant process technology.
  23. 23. Shellfish processing.
  24. 24. Textural modification of recovered flesh.
  25. 25. Improved chilling and handling of sea fish and farmed fish.
  26. 26. Innovation and characterisation of added value products from industrial and waste fish resources and development of relevant new pilot plant processes or existing processes.
  27. 27. Improvements in the efficiency of processing fish—smoking.
  28. 28. Investigation of chemical/physical methods of reducing the rate of deterioration of bulk stored fish at sea.
  29. 29. Assessment of the requirements for the introduction of freezing-at-sea on small fishing vessels.
  30. 30. Study of cultured fish in relation to general quality aspects and to their suitability for processing.
  31. 31. The efficient use of recovered fish flesh for human consumption.
  32. 32. Applications of electronics and physical sensors in fish processing.
  33. 33. Plant design—Development of monitoring and control systems.
  34. 34. Refrigeration—the design and development of a mulitpass freezer.
  35. 35. Plant design—Energy utilisation in fish processing.
  36. 36. Plant design—A study of fundamental principles in the design and development of new smoking processes.
  37. 37. Processing machinery—Development of a machine to produce uncoated formed fillets.
  38. 38. Processing machinery—Separation of meat from shellfish.

List 2

Projects for Termination in 1991.

  1. 1. Utilisation of proteins as functional ingredients in processed food products.
  2. 2. Chemical composition and processing conditions on functional properties of food emulsions.
  3. 3. Compositional factors and processing conditions of fat in food emulsions.
  4. 4. Heat and mass transfer in meat refrigeration.
  5. 5. Robotics in meat handling and processing.
  6. 6. Meat process engineering.
  7. 7. Quality control robotic vision and meat grading by video image analysis and fibre.
  8. 8. Production of savoury flavour-enhancing peptides by enzymes.
  9. 9. Improve yield and quality of cheese and other fermented dairy products using cultures and enzymes derived from biotechnology programmes at IFR.
  10. 10. Packaging techniques for improved storage and display.
  11. 11. Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in bulked storage of vegetables.