15 April 2002 Presentation to Allan Wilson MSP Deputy Minister for Environment & Rural Development by George Paterson & Lydia Wilkie Food Standards Agency, Scotland Monday, 15 April, 2002 Long-Term Strategy for Aquaculture in Scotland 1

15 April 2002 “ To protect Public Health from Risks which may arise in connection with the consumption of Food (including risks caused by the way in which it is produced or supplied) and otherwise to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food” (Food Standards Act,1999) Food Standards Agency 2

15 April 2002 u Non-Ministerial UK Government Department accountable to Health Ministers u Independent Board u Discreet “arms” in Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland u Core Values s consumers first s open and accessible s independent voice Food Standards Agency 3

15 April 2002 u Between 2001 and 2006, the Agency’s Key aims are: s Reduce foodborne illness by 20% by improving food safety right through the food chain s Help people to eat more healthily s Promote honest and informative labelling to help consumers s Promote best practice within the food industry s Improve the enforcement of food law s Earn peoples trust by what we do and how we do it Food Standard Agency (cont.) 4

15 April 2002 u Agency’s interest:- s Food Safety s Diet and Nutrition s Consumer Choice - have adequate information on which to make informed choices The Agency and Aquaculture 5

15 April 2002 Food Safety u Fish Feed s Dioxin & Dioxin-like PCBs s Traceability u Contaminants s Lead, Cadmium, Mercury s Dioxins s Veterinary Residues u Shellfish Restrictions s Microbiological s Algal Toxins 6

15 April 2002 Food Safety (cont.) u Research/Surveillance s Heavy metals s Dioxins and PCBs s Differentiation of Wild/Farmed Salmon s Viruses in Shellfish s Detection of Algal Toxins 7

15 April 2002 Diet and Nutrition u Diet and Nutrition play an important role in public health u Encourage and facilitate the adoption of a healthy, u balanced diet u Reduce inequalities by enabling and encouraging the disadvantaged and vulnerable to improve their diets u The Food Standards Agency recommends that as part of a healthy balanced diet, people should eat an average of two portions of fish a week, and that one of those portions should be oil rich 8

15 April 2002 u The Agency is committed to ensuring that consumers have clear and accurate information u Labelling s Fish labelling Regulations s Country-of-Origin u Consumer Research s Total Diet and Nutrition Survey s Annual Consumer Survey s Specific Surveys u Omnibus Survey on Fish Consumption u New website ( u Review of Assurance Schemes Consumer Choice 9

15 April 2002 u Agency is neither for nor against the application of aquaculture as a means of producing food u The Agency’s “duty of care” is to protect consumers u This is done by advising Scottish Ministers on policy and regulations that are considered necessary to both protect Scottish consumers from any public health risks from farmed fish and/or that would allow Scottish consumers to make informed choices both from a “method of production” and/or nutritional point of view u The Agency is committed to working collaboratively with the Aquaculture Industry and other stakeholders to ensure the attainment of the above aims. SUMMARY 10