Home made cake sales escape ban

A school banned home-made cakes after advice from a local council

There are no plans to ban sales of home made cake or jam, peers have been told.

Baroness Andrews reassured her cake-loving colleagues that the culinary skills of groups like the Women's Institute would be allowed to continue.

The WI was responsible for a lot of "jam yesterday" and she hoped, would be for responsible "jam tomorrow".

A consultation exercise was under way, however, on whether to extend the requirement for labelling to non pre-packed food, Baroness Andrews added.

The question about whether sales would be restricted was raised after a school banned the sale of home made cakes because of advice from a local council.

I entirely agree with the merits of home-made cakes... Jam is not normally lethal Baroness Andrews

The ban at a school in Wiltshire led to claims the so-called nanny state was interfering and ruining a much-loved tradition.

The county council in question had sought advice from the Food Standards Agency on the safety of the ingredients used in such cakes, the baroness said.

It had quite properly expressed concern about the cream used in the desserts being sold in the school.

But Baroness Andrews said there were no restrictions on the sale of such foods under the Food Safety Act which was only intended to outlaw foods which were unfit for human consumption.

"I entirely agree with the merits of home made cakes," she said.

"Jam is not normally lethal and what the government means to do in terms of its food safety legislation is to ensure that the public health is protected."