Vol. 397 No. 3
42 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he intends to take any steps to ensure that the labelling of butter or dairy substitutes more accurately reflect the content of these products; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Specific measures to eliminate consumer confusion regarding the contents of dairy products and their competitors have already been adopted at Community level by the Council of Ministers in Regulations (EEC) 1898/87, which limited the use of dairy designations to products obtained exclusively from milk. In its first report to the Council on the application of this measure, the EC Commission concluded that the regulation had been insufficient to eliminate consumer confusion particularly in the yellow fats sector of the market and promised to prepare further measures on this matter.
As President of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, I am pressing the Commission to bring forward these proposals as soon as possible.
