Apple Juice (Hansard, 16 February 1993)

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates the matter of patulin in apple juice was considered by the Food Advisory Committee.

§ Mr. Soames
The Food Advisory Committee considered this matter at its meetings on 18 September and 29 October 1992.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response was given by officials in his Department in September 1992 to outside inquirers relating to the finding of patulin in apple juice.

§ Mr. Soames
The Ministry published on 3 September the agenda for the Food Advisory Committee meeting on 18 September. The agenda made clear that patulin in apple juice was an item for discussion by the committee. On 14 October the Ministry published a short note recording the points discussed by the committee at this meeting. The Ministry has no record of receiving any inquiries about patulin during this period.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date in December 1992 he or his officials met representatives of the fruit juice producers to discuss the advice of the Food Advisory Committee in relation to apple juice.
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§ Mr. Soames
I met representatives of the fruit juice producers on 17 December 1992.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the scale of the testing of all batches of apple juice to the limits laid down for patulin following upon the finding of four contaminated samples.

§ Mr. Soames
The United Kingdom producers and retailers have undertaken to ensure that all supplies of apple juices meet the advisory level. The major producers have been testing every batch of apple juice.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date the British Soft Drinks Association was first informed of the finding of patulin in samples of apple juice.

§ Mr. Soames
The British Soft Drinks Association was first informed of the findings in a letter dated 21 July 1992 summoning the industry to a meeting with scientific and medical officials of the Ministry and the Department of Health.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates(a) samples of apple juice were found to contain higher than acceptable levels of patulin, (b) the samples were referred to the committee on toxicity and (c) the committee decided that there was no need to withdraw apple juice from sale.

§ Mr. Soames
The Ministry received the results on 5 June 1992 and referred them to the next meeting of the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment on 21 July 1992. The results had meanwhile been assessed by the scientific and medical staff of the Ministry and the Department of Health who had concluded that there was no risk to health. The committee's advice was passed to officials of the two Departments on the day of the meeting. The results and the committee's comments were subsequently considered by the Food Advisory Committee at its meetings in September and October 1992.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions relating to press inquiries on the incidence of patulin in apple juice took place at the meeting in August of departmental officials and the British Soft Drinks Association.

§ Mr. Soames
A meeting between officials from my Department and trade representatives, including the British Soft Drinks Association, took place on 23 July 1992.
At the conclusion of that meeting my officials told the trade that they had no plans to issue a press notice at that time, but that the results would be published as a food surveillance paper in the usual way, following consultation with the Food Advisory Committee.
There was no other such meeting, until my officials and I met the industry to discuss this matter further on 17 December 1992.