Professor Chris Elliott will lead an independent review of Britain’s food system in light of the recent horsemeat fraud, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health has announced.
The review will focus on consumer confidence in the authenticity of all food products and any weaknesses in food supply networks which could have implications for food safety and public health, looking at the causes of the systemic failure that enabled the horsemeat fraud, the roles and responsibilities of businesses throughout the food supply chain to consumers, and how to support consumer confidence.
Findings from the review will be used to form recommendations to Defra and the Department of Health on how the UK might be able to increase the resilience of its food systems.
Announcing the appointment, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said:
“Consumers have the right to know that the food they’re eating contains what it says on the label.
“Food fraud is completely unacceptable and those who engage in it are criminals. As well as pursuing them to the full extent of the law, we must also address any weaknesses in our food system.
“Professor Elliott will bring years of experience to the vital task of ensuring people can be confident in the food they’re buying.”
The review will begin in early June and will take nine to 12 months to complete. Interim findings will be submitted in December and a final report submitted by spring 2014.
A call for evidence will be issued seeking information and views on the integrity of the food supply network, any vulnerabilities and how it might be strengthened to support consumer confidence.
Professor Chris Elliot is Professor of Food Safety and Director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast. He has published over 240 peer review articles, many of them relating to the detection and control of agriculture, food and environmental-related complaints. His main research interest is the development of innovative techniques to provide early warning of threats across the entire fresh water and agri-food supply chains. Protecting the integrity of the food supply chain is also a key research driver.
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