Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, whether they have made any assessment of the relative risks to human health of (1) horse meat in particular from the EU which has had illegal penicillin treatment, (2) pig meat from the Netherlands and Germany infected with Hepatitis E, (3) eggs from the Netherlands contaminated with fripronil, (4) chicken meat past its use by date which has fallen on a slaughterhouse floor, and (5) chlorine-washed chicken.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised that no assessment of the relative risks to human health has been undertaken on these five topics. However, risk assessments are undertaken on individual issues as they arise. The protection of public health from risks which may arise in connection with the consumption of food is paramount to the FSA and comprehensive legislation exists to ensure that food sold in the United Kingdom is safe to eat.