Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Kimball (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 2 March 2006.

Stilton Cheese

Question: My Lords, I must declare an interest. I am chairman of the Melton museum. One third of our exhibition deals with Stilton cheese. Does the Minister realise that deep offence is felt throughout the Vale of Belvoir at the Food Standards Agency’s investigation of the level of salt in Stilton cheese, which is an age-old recipe, when it should be dealing with the amount of salt and fat in junk foods? Does the Minister realise also that salt is added to Stilton to drive down the moisture content and slow the development of the bacteria? Of all blue cheeses, Stilton has the least salt in it.

Answer: My Lords, I must put the record straight: the Food Standards Agency is developing a range of voluntary salt targets for different food categories, 88 in total, following extensive consultation with stakeholders, including the food industry. So it is not picking on Stilton or the Vale of Belvoir. It is looking at people’s salt intake across the board to protect public health. Stilton is a small part of that exercise. As a keen consumer of it, I have as much interest as the noble Lord in ensuring that its flavour and quality are maintained. The FSA is in contact with the cheesemakers’ association and, as I understand it, has been co-operating with it.

Secondary information