Agency publishes annual report for 2007/08

Thursday 17 July 2008

The Food Standards Agency’s annual report for 2007/08 has been published and laid before the Westminster Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly.

The report, entitled ‘Safe food and healthy eating for all’, demonstrates how the Agency has continued to respond in a timely, decisive and proportionate manner to protect public health.

It outlines the Agency’s record on food safety, explains how it provides expert scientific and evidence-based advice, and looks at the Agency’s work on eating for health.

Other areas of the report include Putting the consumer first, Effective delivery, and a summary of the Agency’s approach of ‘honesty, integrity and objectivity’.

A section on finance looks at what sort of resources the Agency will have over the next three years, and appendices describe how the Agency works, how it is organised, its Board and Chief Executive and its performance against Strategic Plan targets. Other appendices look at the Agency’s environmental position statement and at Meat Hygiene Service enforcement.

Commending the 2007/08 report, Agency Chair Deirdre Hutton said: ‘While driving forward initiatives that improve food safety and make healthier eating easier for all, we remain alert to the need to balance public protection and consumers’ other food-related interests with the conditions that allow businesses to innovate, compete and flourish.

‘Our judgements will continue to be based on evidence that is rigorous, transparent and independent, because we believe our success lies in continuing to use the best available scientific evidence and advice when working with the many valued organisations that show an active interest in food issues.’