Day 016 - 22 Jul 94 - Page 38
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is your point basically colour?
2 MR. MORRIS: Yes. I am going to move on to the point (a), (b),
(c), (d), which are the EC position. I will just read
3 them out.
4 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is your point on colour? To make it more
attractive?
5
MR. MORRIS: I am getting to it.
6
MR. JUSTICE BELL: Why not put that straightaway?
7
MR. MORRIS: I will do. Within the EC it is recognised that
8 additives should only be used if there is no economical or
technological alternative on that particular product, is
9 what you are saying that means?
A. Yes. Yes, I am sure that is what it applies to.
10
Q. But it could be interpreted wider than that, could it not?
11 A. Well, that is up to them.
12 Q. That is up to them. OK. So the points (a), (b), (c),
(d), just to summarise the first point in each one: "To
13 preserve the nutritional quality of the food; (b) to
provide necessary ingredients or constituents for people
14 with special dietary needs; (c) to enhance the keeping
quality or stability of a food or to improve its
15 organoleptic properties", what is that?
A. Basically, taste and smell.
16
Q. "To improve its organoleptic properties"?
17 A. Normally when people -----
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do not worry. You have given an answer.
19 MR. MORRIS: "(d) to provide aids in manufacture, processing,
treatment, packing, transport or storage of foods". That
20 is a technological aid, presumably, to help the process?
A. Yes.
21
Q. So colour, in fact, is not even allowed under this EC
22 position on need; is that correct?
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Is that so? It says it is justified only,
but some things which may not be justified are still
24 allowed; what is the position?
A. Certainly the EC (or perhaps we say the EU now) do
25 allow colours, so we must go by their interpretation of
the criteria which they have laid down.
26
MR. MORRIS: Are you saying the EC position is that they are
27 allowable but they are not justified, colours?
A. Well, I have no insight into the way in which the
28 relevant EC Committees interpret these criteria; perhaps
Professor Walker would have; I do not know.
29
Q. But you are trying to justify the use of colour, are you
30 not?
A. No, no. I am just explaining what the position is.
