§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what (a) technical and (b) non-technical advice his Department has given to industry concerning chloropropanols in hydrolysed vegetable protein in order that it ensures the removal of 3-MCPD—monochloropropanedilo—from all foods; what is the date by which this must be completed; what enforcement of this removal will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on his assessment of the toxicity of 3-MCPD. [13006]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Ministry has accepted the advice of the Food Advisory Committee that industry should take all necessary steps to ensure that by May 1998 3-MCPD cannot be found in any foods or ingredients, including hydrolysed vegetable protein, when using a validated method of analysis capable of detecting levels down to 0.01 mg/kg, the lowest limit of detection currently available. This is an advisory limit and the question of formal enforcement does not therefore arise. MAFF will, however, continue to monitor the situation.
The FAC's advice was based on a toxicity assessment by the European Commission's expert committee, the Scientific Committee for Food which has concluded that 3-MCPD should be regarded as a genotoxic carcinogen and that results should be undetectable in food products.