The FSA in England will focus on food safety policy and enforcement of healthy environments. The Department of Health will become responsible for nutrition policy in England and the Department for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs will become responsible for Country of Origin Labelling and other non-safety-related food labelling and food composition policies in England.
The FSA was established as in 2000 with a primary purpose to secure food safety and provide advice to Government and the public.
Reorganising will contribute to the Government’s objectives to improve efficiency, and will improve the health of the nation by creating a public health service. To achieve this, some policy functions can be brought “in house‟ to give a more organized approach on health and food issues.
Ministers and officials at the Department of Health and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are working closely with the FSA to implement the following changes:
Food Standards Agency
-On crucial issues of food safety, the independent advice from FSA experts would be final.
-The FSA retains current responsibility for nutrition and labelling policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
-Approximately 2,000 staff will remain at the FSA.
Lord Rooker, Chair of the FSA, said:
"Food safety and hygiene have always been at the heart of what the Agency does. They are our top priorities in protecting the interests of consumers."
Department of Health
-Nutrition policy will be overseen by the Department of Health. This includes front of pack nutrition labelling, such as Guideline Daily Amounts.
-The transfer of nutrition policy into the Department of Health will enable better services to be created and clearer information to be given to the public.
Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, said:
"Our ambition is to create a public health system that truly helps people live longer and healthier lives. To achieve it, we can‟t stand still. Changes are inevitable.
"It‟s absolutely crucial for the Food Standards Agency to continue providing independent expert advice to people about food safety. But bringing nutrition policy into the Department makes sense. It will enable a clear, consistent public health service to be created, as our Public Health White Paper later this year will set out.
"I believe – in the-long term – we‟ll have a clearer and less bureaucratic system for public health. The end result will focus on turning expert advice and support into better health."
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Country of Origin Labelling will transfer to Defra. This will support delivery of the Government’s commitment to deliver honesty in food labelling and ensure that consumers can be confident about where their food comes from.
It will also support delivery of one of Defra’s top priorities: Ministers’ firm commitment to support and develop British farming and encourage sustainable food production, and promote increased domestic food production.
Other policy areas that will transfer to Defra include composition policy which is about agreeing the components and standards for characterising products such as honey, jam, chocolate, ice-cream or meat content of sausages).
"These changes will enable the FSA to focus on food safety and it is right that this should stay in the hands of an independent body."
