§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has made to the recommendation from the Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food, that the consumption of untreated milk is hazardous; and whether he will now take steps to ban the sale of untreated milk in England and Wales.
§ Mr. MacleanFollowing public consultation in 1989, the Government decided that consumers in England and Wales should continue to be free to choose untreated milk. However, in view of the established health risks associated with this product, new labelling and microbiological testing requirements were introduced in 1990 to ensure that consumers were properly informed and that the risks were minimised. The Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food has recommended that these new measures should be very rigorously enforced and the incidence of food-borne illness associated with the consumption of untreated milk kept closely under review. The Government have accepted this recommendation.