Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-04-10-Speech-1-112"
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"en.20000410.7.1-112"2
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"Mr President, our foodstuffs – and this also applies to entirely fresh produce, for example the peeled carrots we heard mentioned today – are nowadays doctored in all kinds of ways with colouring agents, sweeteners, flavour enhancers and preservatives, in fact with every possible type of substance. And all in order to disguise the products’ natural characteristics. It is, of course, not just a few substances we are talking about. Nowadays, we use several thousands of additives and, where the majority of these are concerned, the fact is that we are not even aware of their consequences for health. To top it all, we are in fact aware that a large number of them are harmful, and yet we still allow them to be used. I think that Community policy in relation to the use of additives has developed in a quite irresponsible way. I should therefore like to support Mr Lannoye’s report. I think a splendid piece of work has been carried out. New additives ought to be refused and any increase in the quantity of accepted and permitted substances should be rejected. Instead, I think the Commission needs seriously to rationalise the number of additives. In the general remarks in his report, Mr Lannoye points to many substances which ought to be investigated, including antibiotics added directly to foodstuffs.
I should like to point out a further problem. It is a problem which Mr Lannoye also mentioned in his intervention, namely the question of adding nitrates and nitrites to meat products. In my opinion, the quantities of these compounds that are permitted are way too excessive. A major investigation by five consumer organisations in Europe has recently shown that a large proportion of meat products contains quite large quantities of nitrosamines. Nitrosamine is a carcinogenic substance which is derived from, and produced by, nitrates and nitrites. I think the situation is unacceptable in this area, but I do not see the investigation having made any impression upon the Commission. I think that the quantity of nitrates and nitrites added to meat products ought to be considerably reduced and that there should be compulsory monitoring of the quantity of nitrosamine which, as I said, is of course a powerfully carcinogenic substance, the presence of which in our foodstuffs is not presently measured at all. I hope that Commissioner Byrne, who has assumed responsibility for this area, will examine the question of added amounts of nitrates and nitrites. I think we have a serious problem in this regard and I hope he will confirm that this will be done. Finally, I would say that, in my view, we need quite a thorough rationalisation of the quantity of additives in our foodstuffs."@en1
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