Written question asked by Charles Kennedy (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 17 February 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 February 1998. It was answered by Lord Cunningham of Felling (Labour) on Thursday, 26 February 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what representations he has received in respect of proposals by Codex, the World Health Organisation, to require bio-yoghurt to be renamed fermented milk product.

Answer: Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received in respect of proposals by Codex, the World Health Organisation, to require bio-yoghurt to be renamed fermented milk product; and if he will make a statement. [30566] Dr. John Cunningham: Officials consulted interested parties on a definition of `yoghurt' in a draft Codex text in 1996 and 1997. Responses were received from UK trade bodies and from individual manufacturers. All were opposed to the definition of `yoghurt' which restricts the terms to fermented milk products containing cultures of Streptococcus Thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii. subsp.bulgaricus only. They want the definition to be broadened to include all products currently sold legally in the UK as `yoghurt'. The Government fully support this approach.

Secondary information