THE ROLE OF THE FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY NI Sharon Gilmore Consumer Choice & Food Standards FSA NI

1. THE ROLE OF THE FOOD STANDARDS AGENCY NISharon GilmoreConsumer Choice & Food Standards FSA NI

2. Overview of roles and responsibilities Jan 2006

3. What is the Food Standards Agency? • Non-Ministerial UK Government Department • Run by an independent Board • Accountable through Health Ministers to Westminster Parliament and Devolved Administrations

4. Origin of the Food Standards Agency • Loss of public confidence in Government • Perceived conflict of interest in UK Agriculture Departments

5. Origin of the Food Standards Agency [Cont’d] • Set up 1 April 2000 by Act of Parliament • Functions taken from Agriculture and Health Ministries and Departments • Staff transferred to a new, independent body • 700 + staff + 1600 meat inspectors (MHS) • Annual budget of £150 million

6. Food Standards Agency Purpose To protect the health of people and the interests of consumers in relation to food Long term aim To gain public trust and confidence as an independent body which put interests of consumers first

7. Guiding Principles • to put the consumer first • to be open and accessible • to be an independent voice

8. What the Guiding Principles Mean

9. FSA Roles - the Overview A government department responsible for: • The safety of our food • Labelling and choice • Diet and nutrition Policy ~ Enforcement ~ Advice ~ Research

10. FSA Role & Responsibilities • Central Competent Authority for Food Safety • Develop Policy and Propose Legislation • Food Alerts/Hazards • Emergency Orders + Regulations eg figs, pistachios, shellfish • Standard Setting, Monitoring and Auditing Enforcement Authorities • Provide Advice - Ministers, Assembly, Public

11. The Food Standards Agency - Structures

12. Strategic Plan 2005 - 2010 Food Safety • Reduce food-borne illness • Reduce risks to consumers from chemical contamination of food Eating for Health • Make it easier for all consumers to choose a healthy diet, Choice • Enable consumers to make informed choices

13. Eating for Health -Some targets • Reduce salt intake to 6g per day by 2010 • Reduce the average intake of saturated fat • Develop targets for a balance between calorie in and energy out • Establish targets for the salt content of the 10 food categories contributing most salt to the diet • Track the key nutritional components of meals in major institutions • Develop the Food Vision database of local food initiatives

14. Eating for Health • Develop and promote a food label signpost • Encourage schools to adopt a ‘whole school’ approach to diet and nutrition • Work with industry to achieve changes in the way food is promoted to children

15. SIGNPOSTING

16. SIGNPOSTING

17. Who inspects food businesses? Central and Local Government Departments involved with Food inspection • District Councils • Environmental Health Officers • Group Officers. • DARD • Milk quality assurance Branch • Veterinary Services

18. Organisations supporting this work • NIFLG • Public Analyst • Public Health Laboratory Service • LACORS • FSA • DHSSPS • HPA

19. What does Food Control work involve? • Hygiene Inspections • Food Standards inspections • Food, Ingredient, and contact material sampling • Survey work • Complaint investigation • Education

20. Food Hygiene • Compliance with Hygiene Regulations on: • structure of premises • workflows of staff ,food ,waste, utensils,equipment ,packaging • HACCP system and controls

21. Food standards • Food standards • presentation ,composition ,quality, advertising and labelling of food • Require management systems in place eg ingredient specifications ,recipe control and production controls

22. What are Food Standards Inspections? • Assessing risk of not meeting standards for production of safe food. • Testing management quality control systems • Assessing compliance against composition, labelling and advertising. • Assessing traceability and recall systems • Assessing compliance against specifications • Comparing against industry standards and codes

23. Why is food sampled? • Protect Public Health • Detect fraudulent practices • Ensure consumers can make informed choices • Maintain compositional /safe standards • Inform enforcement approach • Ensure fair trade and detect bad practice

24. How is sampling organised? • NIFLG surveys • LACORS surveys • FSA surveys • District Council EHO sample plans

25. Who does the Tests on food? • Public Analyst • Public Health Laboratory Service- The Food Examiner

26. What sort of tests do Public Analysts do on food? • Measure the amount of permitted additives (e.g E numbers) • Measure contaminants in food (e.g heavy metal contaminants, pesticides, dioxins) • Measure the amount of ingredients declared in food (e.g added water) • Measure for undeclared ingredients in food • Authenticity testing (e.g substitution of expensive ingredients for cheaper ones) • Investigate claims on food (Low fat, salt, sugar or high in fibre)

27. Materials in contact with food • Materials include storage containers and film ,ceramic containers and wrapping and packaging materials • For migration testing require details on: • Unused materials , the intended use of the material ,storage conditions of the materials

28. What happens if foods fail composition standards? • Written warnings • Legal cautions • Prosecution in Magistrates Court

29. Examples of some sample survey work Meat speciation Olive oil, Apple juice Tuna products, Water in chicken Potato varieties Irradiated foods Maize Oil Basmati rice Fat in mince Added H20 in scallops /scampi Horsemeat in imported Meat Products Colours in food Salt in local breads • Current and future • Meat content • Fish species • Farmed and wild fish • G M materials in food

30. What does the Food Examiner look for in food? • Spoilage bacteria • Indicators of contamination • Pathogenic bacteria that cause illness • Protozoa • Toxins (Specialist labs) • PSP/DSP (Specialist labs)

31. Some examples of foods sampled

32. Signposting Contains 90% of a 6 year old’s target average daily salt intake.

33. “Rich in Vitamin C” • One 180ml serving contains • 100% RDA for vitamin C • 1 ml of blackcurrant juice • 20g of sugar (a tablespoon)

34. “rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins” more than 50% sugar more than 30% fat

35. Food Standards Agency How to Contact Us General Office Tel no: 02890 417708 General Office Fax no: 02890 417726 Websites: www.food.gov.uk www.eatwell.gov.uk www.salt.gov.uk