Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Like others, I am glad to have the opportunity to make a contribution on the Bill. It is interesting and timely that we should discuss the subject. It has engaged us all over the years in various instances. Chemicals, preservation and all that goes with it now form so much part of our society and even our diet. If we read the ingredients on a food product, we are liable to find it contains certain chemicals — E chemicals in particular. Some of them are deemed to be bad for our health, but they are frequently used. Many people have particular allergies to the E-number chemicals and other preservatives in our food chain and part of our daily diet, and I wonder whether the Bill is likely to cover those preservatives or alter them in any way. For example, DDT, a famous chemical which was a great controlling agent and widely used here, is gone.

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