The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency is accepting comment on its proposed five-year plan for 2010 to 2015 through Feb. 11, 2011.
The agency first published the plan a year ago. It sets the FSA’s strategic direction and priorities, and describes the outcomes the agency aims to deliver to safeguard public health at all stages of the food chain.
The consultation recognizes progress that has been made against the current Strategic Plan and sets out proposed changes, including renewing the FSA’s commitment to tackle Campylobacter in chicken and prioritizing further activity on allergens.
One key proposal is to have a dedicated outcome on the FSA’s enforcement activities. The intention is to highlight the increased emphasis on securing effective enforcement of food law, with the aim of moving towards a more consistent risk-based and proportional approach.
The consultation also sets out the amendments that will need to be made to the FSA’s Science and Evidence Strategy 2010-2015, to take account of the proposed changes to the Strategic Plan.
The revised plan recognizes that nutrition-related work will continue to be delivered by the FSA in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Since Oct. 1, responsibility for nutrition policy transferred to the Department of Health in England and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The agency reviews the strategy each year and adjusts it as necessary to ensure that public health is protected from food safety risks.
