Food we can trust
Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland Director Maria Jennings outlines how partnership working helps the FSA impact positively on Northern Ireland businesses.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is now in its sixteenth year of operation. Since our inception, food has become an increasingly significant commodity for Northern Ireland.
The FSA’s role as an authoritative voice for consumer advice in relation to food is evolving and our latest Strategic Plan reflects our priorities for putting consumers first in everything we do. We have set out to achieve the following strategic outcomes:
• food is safe;
• food is what it says it is;
• consumers can make informed choices about what to eat; and
• consumers have access to an affordable healthy diet, now and in the future.
We work hard with other enforcement authorities to ensure that regulatory activity is risk-based, proportionate and consistent so it doesn’t have a detrimental effect on Northern Ireland’s economy. But as a relatively small organisation, we can’t do this alone.
We have a joint responsibility with others – including industry, consumers, district councils and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) – and we are committed to working collaboratively to keep food safe and prevent food crime, ultimately to protect consumers and our food industry.
The agri-food industry is worth around £4.5 billion each year to the local economy. The FSA has committed to working with industry and to support its strategic action plan, Going for Growth, by developing initiatives on safe food production and assisting in the production and authorisation of new testing techniques.
We contribute to better regulation initiatives through participation in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Review of Business Red Tape, including the review of regulations affecting the region’s hospitality sector, which recognises the importance of joint working to improve business effectiveness.
The annual cost of foodborne disease to Northern Ireland’s economy is £83 million. This equates to over 48,000 cases of illness, 450 hospitalisations and 24 deaths. The FSA has a number of initiatives which aim to reduce this burden, including our campylobacter reduction communications campaign and the continued operation, in partnership with district councils, of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Our relationship with DARD sees the delivery of official controls in the areas of meat, dairy, egg and primary production hygiene on our behalf. All food business operators need to comply with certain requirements set out in European law, which are there to ensure food safety throughout the food chain. Failure to comply with regulations not only presents a risk of prosecution for the business owner but consequently, risks the strong reputation of the agri-food sector in the growing export market, particularly the emerging, lucrative markets outside Europe.
The FSA has produced guidance on the recently introduced legislation surrounding the labelling of foods. We actively engaged with industry to ensure requirements of the regulations were fully explained and provided practical advice on their implementation. This work ensures that consumers are not misled and protects them, and businesses, from the presence of undeclared allergens.
We take the lead on industry-focused outcomes in ‘A Fitter Future for All’ – the Government’s obesity prevention framework. To achieve these outcomes, we are working closely with the industry on reformulation, nutrition labelling, food promotions, portion size and the display of energy values on menus.
The FSA’s work is wide ranging, but working together with our partners means we can have a great impact. These solid relationships, running the entire length of the food chain, makes it stronger for both industry and consumers and our economy as a whole.
