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Dr. George Paterson Director Food Standards Agency, Scotland

Arab Quality and Food Safety Conference Beirut 15 June 2006. Food Safety, Risk and Regulation : the UK experience. Dr. George Paterson Director Food Standards Agency, Scotland. Food incidents in the UK - 1980s &1990s. 1988 Salmonella in eggs 1989 Listeria in soft cheese and pate

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Dr. George Paterson Director Food Standards Agency, Scotland

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  1. Arab Quality and Food Safety Conference Beirut 15 June 2006 Food Safety, Risk and Regulation: the UK experience Dr. George Paterson Director Food Standards Agency, Scotland

  2. Food incidents in the UK - 1980s &1990s 1988 Salmonella in eggs 1989 Listeria in soft cheese and pate 1990 BSE – mounting concern 1990 Benzene in Perrier 1990 Plasticisers in cling film 1993 Patulin in apple juice 1996 E coli O157 outbreak 1996 BSE linked to vCJD

  3. Food Standards Agency core values • to put consumers first • to be open and accessible • to be an independent voice

  4. “Government, and not its advisory committees, is responsiblefor taking decisions on the management of risk, and needs to take an abiding interest in matters of risk, although committees may be best placed to advise on management options” Review of risk procedures by the Government’s advisory committees dealing with food safety Sir Robert May, Chief Scientific Advisor, July 2000

  5. “The Food Standards Agency will... “...review the current main measures to protect the public against BSE/vCJD in relation to the food chain. The review will consider both the adequacy of the measures to protect public health and their proportionality to the assessed risk…..” Strategy for agriculture: An action plan for farmingDept Environment Food and Rural Affairs 30 March 2000

  6. UK public concern about BSE 2000 -2005 Source: FSA annual consumer attitudes surveys

  7. Media Food industry Other food agencies Working with others Europe Regional government Other gov depts NGOs Schools

  8. Food safety management Safer food better businesshelps small food businesses apply HACCP principles

  9. Foodborne Illness • Around 850,000 cases per year • Estimated to cost UK plc £1.5bn pa • 5 main causative organisms; Campylobacter Salmonella Listeria Clostridium Perf. E.coli O157

  10. Is our approach working? 80% Recognition 65% Confident in ability to protect health 58% Consider FSA trustworthyConsumer Attitudes to Food Standards 2005 UK has highest consumer trust in food safety of six EU countries studied Trust in Food in Europe, NICR, Oslo 2003

  11. A harmonised approach to food safety • Put consumers first • Base decisions on a robust assessment of the evidence • Take full account of the views of all interested parties • Communicate clearly what we know and what we don’t know and this is what we are doing about it • Work in partnership with others • Remain open, transparent and independent at all times

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