Science and evidence strategy published

Wednesday 24 February 2010

The Agency has published its new Science and Evidence Strategy 2010–15 and Evidence Plan 2010. These set out how science and evidence will be used to improve food safety and the balance of people's diets.

The strategy describes the activities we will carry out to make sure we get the right evidence and use it effectively to support delivery of our overall Strategy for 2010–2015. It will also help measure progress, inform development of future work, and support delivery in the long term. It has been developed in consultation with our science advisers, partners and stakeholders.

The Agency’s Chief Scientist, Andrew Wadge, said: 'Science is at the heart of the Agency. This is reinforced at the core of the science strategy and in our new Strategy for 2010–2015, but we will need to work harder and smarter to learn from experience and meet the challenges ahead.

'These challenges range from controlling foodborne illness to achieving healthier food products and diets. We will also need to understand better what works in practice, and develop risk-based controls that will help raise standards of hygiene in all food businesses. To achieve this we will need to prioritise working in partnership and using multidisciplinary approaches.'

As a first step to implementing the strategy, the Agency has also published an evidence plan, which sets out the main work we aim to commission during the next two years. The evidence plan is available for comment at the link below.