WRITTEN QUESTION E-3261/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Allergic reactions to the eating of Quorn.
Date: 2003-11-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United Kingdom, allergy, consumer information, consumer protection, food safety, food substitute, labelling

C 70 E/246

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

What information does the Commission have concerning the sentence to two years’ house arrest of three
UBCV monks and the arbitrary imprisonment of eight others, including the Patriarch and his number two?
Does the Commission not agree that this further episode of repression against the heads of the UBCV by
the Vietnamese authorities demonstrates the dishonesty of the Vietnamese authorities and their lack of real
will to guarantee the right to the freedom of religion and to proceed to the legalisation of the UBCV? Does
the Commission not agree that this situation demands an extremely firm response on its part, including
the suspension of the EU-Vietnam Cooperation Agreement? Does the Commission not agree that the
extremely serious situation in Vietnam, Laos, Burma and, albeit to a lesser extent, Cambodia, should lead it
to propose to the Council and the Parliament the appointment of an EU special representative for these
countries?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(1 December 2003)

In its fortnightly press conference on 6 November 2003, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
acknowledged that three monks are currently under administrative detention or house arrest, imposed
under Decree 31/CP, which allows for up to two years’ detention without charges or trial. The Ministry
also acknowledged that both Mr Do and Mr Quang are currently being investigated for ‘serious crimes’,
and that charges may be brought against them once the investigation is complete. The Commission does
not have specific information, at this stage, on the exact legal standing of the eight other monks, although
it seems that they remain in the custody of the Vietnamese authorities.

The Commission and Member States have repeatedly raised their concerns over the recent incidents with
the Vietnamese Government. The Union has also expressed, on several occasions, its concern over the
restrictions on the freedom of religion in Vietnam, and has called upon the Vietnamese Government to
improve upon the current state of affairs. The Commission will raise its objections to the treatment of
religious and other dissidents once again during the upcoming EU-Vietnam Joint Commission. This will
also be a subject at the forthcoming EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue meeting in Hanoi.

The Commission will continue to use all instruments at its disposal to bring about improvements in the
human rights situation in Vietnam. One of these instruments is the Commission-Vietnam Cooperation
Programme deployed under the bilateral Cooperation Agreement, which includes programmes that aim to
improve governance, the rule of law and access to justice in the country.

The Commission is of the opinion that the appointment of an EU special representative would not bring a
significant added value to the existing human rights dialogues with the countries concerned. Furthermore,
the Commission supports existing United Nations (UN) special mechanisms already in place to address
some of the international concerns in the region (i.e. UN special envoy for Burma/Myanmar; UN special
rapporteurs).

(2004/C 70 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3261/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(4 November 2003)

Subject: Allergic reactions to the eating of Quorn

Quorn is a meat substitute produced from Fusarium venenatum, a mould. It is marketed in various forms
by Marlow Foods. At the end of May the BBC website contained a report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
health/2949510.stm) on research in which Swiss and German doctors describe the case of a man who
suffered severe allergic reactions after eating Quorn. The American consumer organisation CSPI (Center for
Science in the Public Interest) also claims to have received some 600 complaints from people who have

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Official Journal of the European Union

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suffered serious allergic reactions after eating Quorn. In September 2003 the same organisation reported
on a study showing that 4,5 % of Britons who have eaten Quorn report allergic reactions to the meat
substitute (http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309231.html).

Is the Commission aware of the studies referred to on allergic reactions to the meat substitute Quorn? If so,
what is the Commission’s view on this matter?

On 21 March 2002 the CSPI sent a letter to Mr David Byrne, the Commissioner responsible for consumer
protection, in order to raise this problem. Has the Commissioner replied to the letter? If so, what did he
say in his reply?

What steps does the Commission intend to take in order to further investigate this matter and if necessary
find a solution?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Any foodstuff or ingredient may cause an allergic reaction or intolerance in a number of consumers.
On the whole, it is thought that at least 8 % of children and 4 % of adults suffer allergies or intolerances to
one or more foods. The foods or ingredients which cause the most common allergic reactions are peanuts,
eggs,
fish, crustaceans, milk, nuts, cereals containing gluten, soybeans, sesame, mustard, celery and
sulphites.

However, allergic reactions are possible in a significant number of other foods, and it is not abnormal that
reactions to the mycoprotein Quorn have been recorded; as the Food Standards Agency indicated in a
statement on this issue on 3 September 2002, 13 million products containing Quorn were sold in the
United Kingdom in 2000.

For people suffering from food allergies or intolerances, there is no choice but to completely avoid the
food in question, hence the need to be able to identify its presence from the information on the label. To
this end, following a proposal submitted by the Commission in September 2001, the European Parliament
and the Council recently adopted Directive 2003/89/EC (1) as regards indication of the ingredients present
in foodstuffs, with a view to ensuring that all ingredients are included on the label.

An ingredient such as mycoprotein cannot, therefore, be present without also being mentioned clearly on
the label. However, some labelling derogations are permitted, for example in the case of certain processing
aids, except where these substances are derived from an allergen included in the list set out in the Annex
to the Directive.

This list will,
if necessary, be updated in future, and the Commission is awaiting the opinion of the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which it has consulted on this matter. With regard to the CSPI
study mentioned, the Commission would like to point out that this was in fact a telephone survey and
reliable conclusions cannot be drawn from it. Moreover, the Commission is not aware of any recent
scientific studies on the incidence of intolerance to mycoproteins but will forward to the EFSA any
information it may receive on this subject.

In conclusion, in response to three letters from the CSPI, the Member of the Commission responsible for
health and consumer protection provided this organisation with information and comments similar to the
above in May, July and October 2002.

(1) OJ L 308, 25.11.2003.