asked the Minister for Health if he will request manufacturers to state on the wrapper or tag the ingredients, including meat content, of sausages produced for sale to the public.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Sausage Ingredients.
Action of the nature referred to by the Deputy is not at present contemplated. Statutory powers are available to the Minister for Health under the Health Act, 1947, in regard to the labelling or description of food in respect of which standards are fixed under Section 56 of the Act. In the absence of evidence that there is a significant risk to the public health due to the harmful nature of the ingredients of sausages on sale to the public, it is not proposed to deal with this food by regulations under the section. Premises on which sausages are manufactured are, of course, subject to the provisions of the food hygiene regulations or similar legislative controls.
Apart altogether from the choice as to quality exercisable by the consumer, I would also point out that under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1936, it is an offence to sell to the prejudice of the purchaser any article of food which is not of the nature, substance and quality demanded by him. Proceedings under these Acts may be taken in appropriate cases by an aggrieved purchaser or the local authority concerned.