Food legislation in Britain: general principles and the evolution of the system
STEPHEN J. FALLOWS,
Corresponding Author
STEPHEN J. FALLOWS
Food Policy Research, University of Bradford
Stephen J. Fallows, Food Policy Research, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, U.K.Search for more papers by this author
STEPHEN J. FALLOWS,
Corresponding Author
STEPHEN J. FALLOWS
Food Policy Research, University of Bradford
Stephen J. Fallows, Food Policy Research, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, U.K.Search for more papers by this author
First published: June 1986
The paper was originally prepared for the 1985 International Home Economics Research Conference.
Abstract
This paper reviews the development of food legislation in Britain. Two case studies relating to the legislation applying to bread and margarine are included. Five different sets of interest groups are identified as contributors to the establishment or amendment of compositional regulations.
References
- 1 Assisa Panis et Cervisiae, 1266 51. Henry III Stat 1 temp. incert. 1266.
- 2 Accum, F. (1820) Treatise on the Adulteration of Food and Culinary Poisons.
- 3 Drummond, J.C. & Wilbraham, A. (1957) The Englishman's Food: A History of Five Centuries of English Food. Jonathan Cape, London .
- 4 Hassell, A.H. (1855) Food and its Adulterants. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London .
- 5 Reports from the Select Committee on Adulteration of Food etc. House of Commons. 1st Report - 1854–55 (432) Vol. VIII. 2nd Report - 1854–55 (480) Vol. VIII. London. 1855. 3rd Report 1856 (379) Vol. VIII.
- 6 Adulteration of Food and Drink Act, 1860 18 Vict. Vol. 1. [Amended in debate 1860 (103) Vol. 1.].
- 7 Giles, R.F. (1976) The development of food legislation in the United Kingdom. In: MAFF Food Quality and Safety: A Century of Progress. HMSO, London .
- 8 Adulteration of Food and Drink and Drugs Act, 1872 37 Vict. Vol. 1. London, 1872.
- 9 Report from Select Committee on Adulteration of Food Act 1982 1874 (262) Vol. VI. London, 1874.
- 10 Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875 62 Vict. Vol. VI. London. 1875.
- 11 Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act 1928 Geo. V London, 1928.
- 12 Food Act 1984 49 Eliz. II Ch. 30. London, 1984.
- 13 Parliament 1928, op. cit.. (Ref. 11).
- 14 Food and Drugs Act 1938 Geo. VI. Ch. 56. HMSO, London , 1938.
- 15 Food and Drugs Act 1955 4. Eliz. II Ch. 16. HMSO, London . 1955.
- 16 Parliament 1984, op. cit. (Ref. 12).
- 17 Defence (Sale of Foods) Regulations 1943 Geo. VI. HMSO, London , 1943.
- 18 Clayton, W. (1920) Margarine. Longmans, Green and Co., London .
- 19 Wilson, C. (1954) The History of Unilever: A Study in Economic Growth and Social Change Volume II. Cassell and Co. Ltd, London .
- 20 Report of Select Committee: Butter Substitutes Bill 1877(208) Vol. IX. London. 1887.
- 21 Margarine Act 1887 309 Vict. Vol. I. London. 1887 [Amended during debate 1887 (366) IV.].
- 22 Bill to Amend the Margarine Act, 1887 1892 (316) Vol. IV. London, 1892.
- 23 Sale of Food and Drugs Act 1899 90 Vict. Vol. VII. [Amended during debate 1899 (196) VII and 1899 (301) VII.].
- 24 Butter and Margarine Act, 1907 Edw. VII. HMSO, London , 1907.
- 25 Parliament 1984, op. cit. (Ref. 12).
- 26 Margarine Regulations 1967 SI No. 1867, HMSO, London , 1967.
- 27 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1954) Food Standards Committee Report on Vitaminisation of Margarine FSC/REP/36, HMSO, London .
- 28 Food Standards (Margarine) Order 1954 SI No. 613. HMSO, London .
- 29 van Stuyvenberg, J.H. (1969) Margarine: An Economic, Social and Scientific History, 1869 to 1969. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool .
- 30 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1981) Food Standards Committee Report on Margarine and other Table Spreads FSC/REP/74. HMSO, London .
- 31 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (November 1983) Personal Communication.
- 32 51. Henry III 1266, op. cit. (Ref. 1).
- 33 8 Anne Vol. 19 1709. (Legal reference as cited by DHSS, 1981, Ref. 52).
- 34 31 Geo. II Vol. 29. 1757. (Legal reference as cited by DHSS, 1981, Ref. 52).
- 35 3 Geo. IV. Vol. CVI. 1822. (Legal reference as cited by DHSS, 1981, Ref. 52).
- 36 6–7 Will. IV Vol. XXXVII. 1836. (Legal reference as cited by DHSS, 1981. Ref. 52).
- 37 Various statutory orders issued by the Ministry of Food under Defence of the Realm Regulations beginning with Manufacture of Flour and Bread Order SI. 62. of 11 January 1917.
- 38 Parliament 1938, op. cit. (Ref. 14).
- 39 Parliament 1943, op. cit. (Ref. 17).
- 40 Burkitt, D.P. (1983) The development of the fibre hypothesis. In: Dietary Fibre (Ed. by G. C. Birch and K. J. Parker). Applied Science Publishers, Barking .
- 41 Flour Order 1953 SI No. 1282. HMSO, London , 1953.
- 42 Flour (Composition) Order 1956 SI No. 1183. HMSO, London , 1956.
- 43 Williams, R.R. & Cline, J.K. (1936) Synthesis of vitamin B1, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 58, 1504–1505.
- 44 Elton, G.A. (1975) The fortification of flour. In: Bread: Social, Nutritional and Agricultural Aspects of Wheaten Bread (Ed. by A. Spicer). Applied Science Publishers, Barking .
- 45 Calder, A. (1969) The People's War: Britain 1939–45. Jonathan Cape, London .
- 46 Parliament 1943, op. cit. (Ref. 16).
- 47 Elton, G.A. 1975, op. cit. (Ref. 44).
- 48 Statutory Instrument 1953, op. cit. (Ref. 41).
- 49 Halton, P. Development of dough by mechanical action and oxidation. Milling, 19 Jan 1962.
- 50 Bread and Flour Regulations, 1963 SI No. 1435. HMSO, London , 1963.
- 51 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1974) Food Standards Committee Second Report on Bread and Flour FSC/REP/61. HMSO, London .
- 52 Department of Health & Social Security (1981) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy Nutritional Aspects of Bread and Flour. Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 23. HMSO, London .
- 53 Articles and correspondence published in Sunday Times, 10 July 1983/17 July 1983/24 July 1983. Also The Grocer, 10 December 1983.
- 54 Information Department, Age Concern (1983) An Aspect of the Proposals for New Bread and Flour Regulations. Age Concern England, Mitcham .
- 55 Report on the Committee on Milk and Cream Regulations Cd 491. HMSO, London , 1901.
- 56 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. Food Advisory Committee Press Notice No. 269. 28 September 1983.
- 57 Food Standards Committee 1974, op. cit. (Ref. 51).
- 58 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Deaths by Cause, 1984 OPCS Monitor. Ref. DH2 85/3. 23 July 1985.
- 59 Food Standards Committee 1974, op. cit. (Ref. 51).
- 60 Department of Health & Social Security (1984) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Diet and Cardiovascular Disease. Report on Health and Social Subjects No. 28 HMSO, London .
- 61 NACNE ad hoc Working Party (1983) A Discussion Paper on Proposals for Nutritional Guidelines for Health Education in Britain. Health Education Council, London .
- 62 RCP Working Party (1983) Obesity: A Report of the Royal College of Physicians reprinted from Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 17, No. 1.
- 63 WHO Expert Committee (1982) Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Technical Report Series No. 678. World Health Organisation. Geneva .
- 64 Committee on Diet Nutrition & Cancer, Assembly of Life Sciences (1982) National Research Council Diet Nutrition and Cancer. National Academy Press, Washington , DC .
- 65 Note References 60–64 are intended to serve only as examples and should not be regarded as an exhaustive list.
- 65 Morton, J. (1981) The challenge for butter in the United Kingdom International Dairy Federation Bulletin, 136, 50–58.
- 66 van Stuyvenberg, J.H. 1969, op. cit. (Ref. 29).
- 67 Hausman, P. (1981) Jack Sprat's Legacy: The Science and Politics of Fat and Cholesterol. Richard Marek Publishers, New York .
- 68 Food Standards Committee 1981, op. cit. (Ref. 30).
- 69 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1974) Food Standards Committee Report on Novel Proteins FSC/REP/62.
- 70 DHSS, op. cit. (Ref. 60).
- 71 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Review of Food Legislation: Consultative Document. December 1984.