Analysing regulatory failure in the food chain Dr Jon Bell Jon Bell Associates Ltd

1. Analysing regulatory failure in the food chainDr Jon BellJon Bell Associates Ltd

2. Mad cow disease Is

3. Relationship between BSE and vCJD Source: Food Standards Agency 2005

4. Newspaper headlines on BSE in 2000 The BSE fiasco Ban all animal cannibalism says food safety chief Farm animals face new BSE checks Apathy of Ministers is the real BSE tragedy

5. Newspaper headlines in 2005

6. Sudan I Sudan 1 Chilli powder Worcester sauce 600 processed foods

7. Sudan I newspaper headlines Cancer–causing dye is discovered in 350 foods TOP FOODS CANCER PERIL IN 359 Supermarket alert on cancer food dye Food industry admits that tests for cancer dye are not carried out

8. Sudan I: level of interest • 1,200 phone calls • 1,000 emails/letters • 1,395 items of media coverage (during incident period) • 15 million hits on FSA website Source: Food Standards Agency 2005

9. Horse meat

14. Conclusions • Overall, food is as safe now as it has ever been but regulatory failure will always be with us • Food is a global business and regulation does not always take full account of this • Need to strike the right balance between regulation/enforcement and market forces • Inadequate enforcement is often the principal reason for regulatory failure