§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will name the food companies being prosecuted by his Department in connection with the sale of adulterated orange juice.
§ Mr. SoamesInformation variously alleging offences under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Food Safety Act 1990 were laid on 6 February this year against the following defendants:
- Asda Stores Ltd.
- Cima Foods Ltd.
- Express Dairy Ltd.
- Gerber Foods Manufacturing Ltd.
- Gerber Foods International Ltd.
- Healds Juices Ltd. Princes Ltd.
- Safeway plc
- Sainsbury plc
- Superdrug Stores Ltd.
- Tesco Stores Ltd.
§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions govern the amount of sugar which may be added to a litre of orange juice labelled as unsweetened.
§ Mr. SoamesThe composition and labelling of orange juice are regulated by the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations 1977 which implement European Community rules. The regulations permit the addition of sugars to orange juice up to a level of 100 g per litre, but if added at levels above 15 g per litre the word "sweetened" must appear on the label, with a declaration of the quantity of sugars added. There is no specific definition for the description "unsweetened". It is, of course, subject to the general provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990—sections 14 and 15—and as such must not mislead the purchaser to a material degree as to the nature, substance or quality of the food.