The Food Standards Agency will not be axed as had been widely rumoured - but it will lose many of its responsibilities under a reorganisation announced today.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley had reportedly been considering abolishing the FSA as part of efforts to reduce public spending.
But it emerged this morning that the agency will remain with a core remit of food safety and enforcement.
Its other work will be split between the Department of Health, which takes up responsibility for nutrition policy in England, and Defra, which will pick up country of origin labelling and other non-safety-related food labelling and composition policies. Around 2,000 staff will remain at the FSA, with 70 policy posts moving to the DoH and 25 going to Defra.
The FSA was established in 2000 as an independent non-ministerial government department and has an annual budget of £135m.
NFU comment
NFU chief science and regulatory affairs adviser Dr Helen Ferrier said: “Consumers recognise and trust the work of the FSA and this is valuable to everyone in the food chain given the potential impact of food scares. There remains a clear need to deal with food safety issues using a science-based, measured and non-political approach and it is imperative that this good work continues. We will continue to work with the FSA to ensure proportionate, risk-based controls and enforcement are in place for all farming sectors.
“Nutrition policy fits well with the other public health and obesity work that the Department of Health is doing so this is a sensible move. Individual foods and nutrients cannot be looked at in isolation and lifestyle is all important. The transfer of country of origin labelling to Defra also makes sense, considering Ministers’ commitment to improve the legislation in this area and we hope this means that the impact on the farming sector and consumers is well understood.”
No comments have been made.