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

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 Food incidents in the UK s &1990s

Food Standards Agency core values to put consumers firstto put consumers first to be open and accessibleto be open and accessible to be an independent voiceto be an independent voice

“Government, and not its advisory committees, is responsible for 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

“...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 farming Dept Environment Food and Rural Affairs 30 March 2000 “The Food Standards Agency will...

UK public concern about BSE Source: FSA annual consumer attitudes surveys

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

Safer food better business helps small food businesses apply HACCP principles Food safety management

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

Is our approach working? 80% Recognition 65% Confident in ability to protect health 58% Consider FSA trustworthy Consumer 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

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 A harmonised approach to food safety