The Food Standards Agency (FSA) faces some difficult challenges as its annual budget comes under pressure, its chief executive has warned.
Speaking to a meat industry audience at the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) conference in Oxford, FSA chief executive, Tim Smith said that under the FSA’s strategic plan review it would have to exist on “constrained resources” and operate at less cost to the state.
“This is clearly going to cause us problems,” admitted Smith. He added the FSA had therefore to be clear about what it would and wouldn’t be able to do under these straightened circumstances.
However, he assured the industry that the FSA’s core pillars, as a “truly independent” body concerned with food safety and nutrition would be retained. The FSA would continue to be a highly open organisation with a strong science and evidence base, which puts consumers first, he added.
However, BMPA president Mark Adams expressed frustration at what he saw as too slow a rate of change within the FSA’s Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). “We remain dissatisfied with the proposed increase in meat inspection charges,” said Adams. “Hygiene controls need to be modern and fit for purpose. Controls are based on yesterday’s risks and are clearly out of date.”
However, Smith responded to the criticism of slow progress being made in getting acceptance from Brussels of a more risk-based approach to inspection, by saying: “If the meat industry was in better control of those risks, we would be in a better position on this.”