Health body slammed
group of politicians. A parliamentary public accounts committee
said that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had to worker harder if
it was to become an authoritative and trusted voice for consumers.
Among the most damning comments was the statement that the body was still failing to lead the way on safety and standards. Specific concerns such as the monitoring of hygiene in hotels, restaurants and other catering outlets were raised. Members of Parliament also said that the authority needs to promote issues better, such as washing hands before preparing food.
According to the UK's Guardian newspaper, the report also suggested that the agency should name and shame manufacturers who fail to label products properly. This, of course, is an issue with European-wide implications. There has also been much talk in the UK and elsewhere about forcing companies to focus on nutritional and health aspects when promoting food to children.
Already, manufacturers have been attempting to stem the rising tide of criticism over unhealthy food targeted at children. Several of the UK's leading food trade bodies joined forces recently to discuss potential solutions to the problem of childhood obesity.
The British Hospitality Association (BHA), British Retail Consortium (BRC), Food Advertising Unit (FAU), Food and Drink Federation (FDF), National Farmers' Union (NFU) and the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) said they would act together to try and tackle what is becoming an increasing cause for concern.
The issue took on even greater prominence this month when the FSA announced that it was to debate the issue with a view to drawing up new guidelines, and it was this announcement which spurred the associations into action. In a joint statement, the group of UK manufacturers said: "We welcome the FSA's recent discussion paper on possible options regarding the promotion and advertising of foods and we look forward to taking part in this most important initiative.
"The manufacturing, retail, hospitality and farming sectors will work together with the advertising industry to be part of the solution to the problems of obesity and other food and health related issues. Only by working together, industry, government, health professionals and educators can we move forward to practical, realistic solutions which help consumers."
But despite successfully forcing UK manufacturers to think more carefully about the nutritional value of their products, the accounts committee said that the FSA must establish a higher profile within the government. MPs said that there was a risk that important issues of food standards and safety could be missed or action not taken sufficiently quickly.
The report concluded it had not yet demonstrated convincingly that it is able to lead on issues of food safety and standards and is an authoritative and trusted voice where there is public doubt. The MPs said that the agency remains largely unknown to the public. The FSA was established in 2000 following public outcry over the BSE crisis.
