Day 016 - 22 Jul 94 - Page 37
1 MR. MORRIS: Name an example for colouring. Rather than go
into detail, we will accept colouring is there to make
2 food attractive?
A. Yes.
3
Q. Can you just explain to me what difference the EC position
4 on need formally is, not the actual content of it, but
compared to the FDAC? Is the EC a different body from the
5 FDAC?
A. Well, in this country we have the two committees that
6 consider the legislative controls on additives, the
Committee on Toxicology and the Food Advisory Committee.
7
Q. That is that one, yes?
8 A. The Committee on Toxicology will look at the
toxicology. The Food Advisory Committee will consider the
9 question of need, and they will forward recommendations to
the government which invariably are accepted from them and
10 then incorporated in the statutory instruments. We are
actually moving to a position now where gradually all
11 legislative controls are being taken over by Europe.
12 Q. Say, for example, the EC position on need which you have
quoted is, say, you would agree with that position, but it
13 is not necessarily the legal position in this country yet,
it may or may not be?
14 A. As far as possible, the two systems of legislation are
being brought together.
15
Q. Right. That is a good thing, as far as you are concerned?
16 A. It is a fact of life.
17 Q. If you look at the EC position on need, yes? "The use of
food additives is justified only where they serve one or
18 more purpose set out from (a) to (d) and only where these
purposes cannot be achieved by other means which are
19 economically and technologically practicable and do not
present a hazard to the health of the consumer". Leaving
20 aside the hazards, within that position, the second part
is: "... only where these purposes cannot be achieved by
21 other means which are economically and technologically
practicable". Would you say that means that additives in
22 general could be open to criticism even within that
statement; that if there are were alternatives, generally,
23 it would be a fair comment to criticise the use of
additives per se if someone believed in an alternative
24 diet from processed food, for example?
A. No, I would not accept that. I do not think that is
25 what is meant here. I think this is in relation to
particular foods.
26
Q. Right.
27 A. I know that you can preserve pig meat in various ways,
but you need the nitrite in order to make -- for the
28 curing process. I mean, clearly, you could have a
different way of preserving it where you are relying much
29 more on refrigeration, but then you would have a very
different product. So I do not think that is what is
30 intended here.
