FSA updates 2007
This page records Sustain's 2007 activities in relation to the Food Standards Agency.For enquiries about this material, contact Sustain's coordinator Jeanette Longfield on jeanette@sustainweb.org.
Autumn 2007
Sandwich labellingThe long-running saga of misleading sandwich labelling (it dates from October 2003!) continues, and Jeanette has recently responded to another consultation from the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS). Sustain agrees with Which? (the Consumers Association) that the proposed guidelines do not yet go far enough, so consumers will still not have accurate labelling about what is in the sandwiches they buy. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has more or less washed its hands of this issue.
FSA and the third sector
More positively, we had a helpful informal meeting with new members of the FSA’s communications team on how links with third sector organisations could be improved. In addition, Jeanette continues her involvement in FSA meetings to discuss how best to protect the future of the public analyst service, a vital element of food law enforcement.
Animal products and climate change
There is a growing body of evidence, and increasing public attention, on the significant contribution of intensive meat and dairy production to climate change. Jeanette has put this issue on the FSA’s agenda, as part of their consultation on reducing fat and saturated fat in the food chain. The FSA is planning to take a similar approach with fat, as with their programme with reducing salt so this is potentially far-reaching.
Sustainable fish consultation
Unfortunately, an FSA consultation on sustainable fish – due last Spring – has been delayed and the Agency appears to be refusing even to set a date for when it might emerge. Following informal exchanges with FSA officials, Jeanette has written to the Chair, Deirdre Hutton, to urge the FSA Board to treat this issue with more urgency.
Summer 2007
Fate of the public analyst serviceOn 8 June Jeanette attended the Enforcement Liaison Group meeting at the FSA which, among other things, briefly raised the issue of the future of the public analyst service. This topic will be discussed again, in more detail, at a special meeting on 16 July and Jeanette will report on any progress with retaining this important dimension of consumer protection.
Consumer Stakeholder Forum
Jeanette also attended the twice-yearly Consumer Stakeholder Forum on 2 July, which continues to provide a useful mechanism for pursuing particular issues – some of them very long running and still unresolved – with the Agency. These include the Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey, fish advice, sandwich labelling and aspartame.
Spring 2007
Fate of the public analyst serviceJeanette organised a small meeting of food law enforcers and consumer organisations on 19 January to discuss the serious concerns expressed by Sustain member, the Association of Public Analysts (APA), about the future of the public analyst service. There have been a number of positive developments since then, with the FSA apparently sympathetic to taking steps to safeguard these public testing laboratories. An agenda item on this issue has been accepted by the FSA for the Enforcement Liaison Group meeting on 8 June and a paper will be produced.
FSA and sustainability
On sustainable development, the FSA continues to be in at least two minds. On the positive side, Dame Deirdre Hutton specifically mentioned the importance of clear sustainability labelling on food in a speech at the recent International Food Exhibition. On the negative side, the FSA initially did not include sustainability, alongside safety and nutrition, in its criteria for its small grants scheme to local authorities running food projects. This is despite Jeanette requesting that they do so for the past three years of the scheme. Jeanette complained in writing about this, and the FSA has now changed the scheme’s criteria to include an explicit reference to sustainable development.
Consumer engagement
Jeanette continues to respond to consultations from consumer liaison staff in the FSA about the development of the Agency’s consumer engagement policies and structures.
Winter 2006-07
Nestlé sponsorship of FSA cateringAnne Dolamore wrote, as Sustain’s Chair, to one of the sponsors of the FSA’s City Food Lecture – featuring the Soil Association’s Peter Melchett as the main speaker – to protest about the Nestlé sponsorship of the catering for this 23rd January event. Nestlé sponsorship would be inappropriate for any event, but since this is entitled “Food and values – the organic future”, it is unacceptable. At time of writing this report we have yet to receive a reply. We understand from FSA officials, to whom our letter was copied, that the FSA had no involvement in this sponsorship arrangement.
Fate of the public analyst service
We are likely to be approaching FSA officials shortly with another complaint; this time about their apparent failure to protect the public analyst service on which much consumer protection rests. In response to serious concerns expressed by Sustain member, the Association of Public Analysts, Jeanette has organised a small meeting of food law enforcers and consumer organisations on 19 January. It aims to develop proposals for the group to take to the FSA to persuade it to take urgent steps to safeguard these public testing laboratories.
FSA and sustainability
More positively, the FSA is taking some steps towards implementing its sustainable development policy, and these were confirmed at the second of the twice-yearly Consumer Stakeholder meetings on 13 November 2006.
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