§ Sir Cranley OnslowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of the operation of the regulations for the labelling of food products containing peanuts and other foodstuffs known to be capable of causing fatal allergic reactions.
§ Mr. SoamesI am, of course, aware of the tragic circumstances that lie behind my hon. Friend's question and would like to express my sympathies to the family concerned in his constituency and to all other families who have suffered accidents of a similar nature.
People who are affected by allergies or are intolerant to certain foods know what to avoid and generally do so successfully. In this, the food labelling rules help them since pre-packed foodstuffs have to carry a list of ingredients on the label which they can consult. But for very real practical reasons the detailed labelling rules do not apply in catering outlets. A simple tightening of the application of the labelling rules is therefore not the real solution to this problem and we must seek other answers.
I have therefore today written to the chairmen of the principal trade associations involved in the manufacture and retailing of foodstuffs containing nuts, including the caterers, to ask them to meet urgently with my officials to discuss practical ways of ensuring that all involved are aware of the significance for some consumers of the use of nut ingredients in products and to establish a system whereby information about the use of such ingredients flows down the food chain so that it cyan be made available to consumers especially at catering outlets..
I will keep my hon. Friend in touch with the progress and results of these discussions.