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fsa could do better over new technologies
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this month marks the 10th anniversary of the uk’s food standards agency. sue davies, chief policy advisor at consumer group which?, which fought for the fsa’s creation in the wake of the bse crisis, shares her views on its job over the last 10 years. over the last decade, the fsa has delivered a more open, transparent and inclusive approach to food policy decision-making; has been more pro-active in helping people understand and act on healthy eating advice and, while some problems still exist, it has ended the food scares that pre-empted its set up. but while the fsa has progressed in these areas, it has missed the mark in its handling of the concerns raised by new technologies. this remains a key test of how it delivers on its objectives to protect both public health and other consumer interests in relation to food. the agency’s first attempt at handling genetically modified (gm) foods was particularly poor. constant re-iteration of the advice of its scientific committee was not enough to convince consumers who saw the risk versus benefit equation very differently. the fsa failed to effectively promote consumer choice as defra considered co-existence measures for cultivation of gm and non-gm crops, and the eu looked to extend gm labelling rules. when the fsa did finally organise a citizens’ jury, the methodology and interpretation of the conclusions were criticised. things are now moving on, increased concerns about food security and food sustainability have prompted a re-examination of what gm could offer. the fsa is organising a public debate to discuss gm, and which? hopes that it is sufficiently broad in scope ensuring that consumer views are genuinely heard and acted upon. when it came to the controversial issue of animal cloning, the fsa organised a series of consumer-focused workshops, and seemed to be taking a more pro-active approach to understanding people’s concerns. but the practical issues involved in meeting consumer expectations of the traceability of clones and their offspring have not been addressed. the european parliament and council have differing views on how the novel foods regulation should deal with cloning, with the parliament calling for separate legislation. which? spoke to consumers about the issue in 2008 and found that only 13% of people thought cloning should be used in food production and 81% were concerned about eating meat from cloned animals or their offspring, it is essential that the fsa takes a leading role in the debate. there is now an increased focus on the role of nanotechnology in food production. the house of lords inquiry into the issue was critical of the lack of government action, and highlighted the need for greater transparency. which? research shows that consumers see potential benefits from nanotechnology, but expect effective oversight and meaningful choice. it is therefore disappointing that the government’s response to the house of lords inquiry did not commit to the mandatory reporting scheme that was proposed and is essential to gain a better understanding of product developments. overall, the fsa has transformed the food policy landscape for consumers, ensuring greater confidence through an independent and joined up approach. there is a lot that it should be praised for – but new technologies remain an area where it needs to re-think its approach and ensure that it keeps one step ahead of the new developments that will impact on consumers.
Source :foodqualitynews.com
Date :
31
March
2010
Category :
Standards and Certificates
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the uk’s food standards agency (fsa) has said it is investigating claims that milk from a cloned cow has entered the nation’s dairy supply. the announcement comes after an unnamed dairy farmer told the international herald tribune that he was using milk from a cow bred from a clone as part of his daily production. fsa said that this would need to be considered for ‘novel food’ approval before it can be sold in the market.
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the uk’s food standards agency said yesterday it would investigate reports that milk from the offspring of a cloned cow has gone on sale in the country. an anonymous uk farmer told the international herald tribune he was producing milk from a cow bred from a clone as part of his daily milk output. the farmer requested anonymity for fear of buyers no longer taking his milk, the newspaper said. the eu said two years ago that there was “no clear evidence” of any difference in safety between products from cloned or conventionally-bred animals.
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owen warnock, partner and food law expert at international law firm eversheds, checks the fine print on calls for legislation in the uk regarding country of origin meat labelling. high profile uk politicians are showing a lot of interest in the country of origin of meat ingredients in food products. both the environment secretary, hilary benn, and his shadow, nick herbert, have called for much greater clarity in relation to british made products which contain foreign meat.
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e. coli in ground beef, melamine in infant formula, and salmonella in peanut butter - what is next? isn’t it about time the slices of the us food safety pie were taken back from the multiple federal agencies involved and surveillance placed under one roof? confidence in a system where 15 different agencies administer as many as 30 laws is ebbing with us politicians and food companies, following the recent salmonella scare linked to eight deaths, demanding an overhaul of how the sector is regulated.
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the debate over products from cloned animals entering the european food chain will enter a new phase next week, as meps ask the commission searching questions about the welfare of cloned animals, ethics, and consumer information. the european commission has previously said that meat and milk from cloned animals are “expected to spread within the global food as early as 2010”, according to a parliament communiqué .
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the uk’s food standards agency is advising that infants are not given rice drinks as a replacement for cows’ milk, breast milk, or infant formula, following a new study that indicates potential to exceed maximum intake. last year a study published in the journal environmental pollution analysed samples from three brands of pure baby rice formulae from different manufacturers, and found inorganic arsenic levels to range from 0.
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the migration of formaldehyde into foods from food contact materials manufactured in the far east may still be a problem, according to a new fsa survey. the uk’s food standards agency (fsa) tested 50 samples of food contact material from the far east, and found that eight exceeded ec norms. “the results of this survey suggest that there may still continue to be a problem with some imports into the eu of melamine-ware from the far east,” stated the agency.
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Coca.Cola
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PEPSI
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Mcdonald
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Nestle
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Mars
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Baskin & Robins
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Nutrika
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Mumika
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Chika
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