asked the Minister for Health if he will state the food and drink substances for which standards concerned with the more important normal constituents and the inclusion, exclusion or limitation of particular elements have been laid down.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Standards of Food and Drink.
12.
The articles of food or drink are Whole Milk, Skimmed or Separated Milk, Buttermilk, Cream, Butter (including milk blended butter); Margarine; Ice-cream; Brandy, Whiskey, Rum and Gin.
In the foregoing list, ice-cream is the only commodity in respect of which a standard was prescribed otherwise than in a statute, or in regulations made under a statute which dealt specifically with the commodity.
The provisions regarding the items of drink mentioned are laid down in the Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment Act, 1879. The butter and margarine standards are prescribed mainly in the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907 and the standards for the various types of milk and for cream are laid down in Regulations made by the Minister for Agriculture under the Sale of Food and Drugs (Milk) Act, 1935.
In view of the fact that there are these many precedents for the establishment of standards would the Minister not reconsider his decision not to establish similar standards for sausages?
The present standards are prescribed by statute, no doubt for good reasons. I should not like to do, by arbitrary decision of the Minister, what heretofore was the work of Parliament.
Is it not a fact that sausages are the staple food of many working class families?
Milk is much more essential and the measures for its protection have been prescribed by statute.
Surely the Minister knows that these standards are established and accepted in other countries in Europe and America?
When the Deputy was Minister for Health he seemed to take the same view as I do of the operation of the Act of 1947.
I was a very busy man clearing up the mess which you left behind. Might I ask the Minister whether sausages exported from this country are subject to standards?
That is a very different question.