FSA appoints new board members

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has appointed three new people to its board of directors.

Former Premier Foods’s chief financial officer Jim Smart is among the new appointments that will serve an initial three-year term

Smart, who is currently an associate at BESTrustees, has also held positions at Boots Group, Abbey National and Friends Provident.

He will be joined on the board by Ram Gidoomal and Heather Peck. Each will be paid an annual salary of £10,559 for approximately 36 days a year.

All appointments are made on merit and these appointments have been made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the FSA claimed.

‘Breadth of knowledge’

Tim Bennett, chair of the FSA, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ram, Heather and Jim to the FSA board. They will bring a breadth of knowledge and experience that will enhance the FSA board and I look forward to working with them to continue to protect consumers’ interests in relation to food.”

Currently chairman of Traidcraft, Gidoomal has previously worked in the food industry, with his last post being UK group chief executive and group vice chairman of seafood and agriculture firm Inlaks Group.

Peck has spent most of her career at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

She is currently chair of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and chair of the Home Grown Cereals Authority Wheat Committee.

The appointments were made by The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, secretary of state for health, with the agreement of ministers from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.