One FSA Priority is they “will continue to do our day job exceptionally well”?

In a board paper for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) meeting on 9th March this year they stated they “will continue to do our day job exceptionally well”.
 
Whilst a little bit of modesty on their part would be welcomed, if they are going to make such claims, they should be able to back them up.
 
Last week Tesco recalled butter from one of their suppliers that possibly contained E.coli. Link to the story below.
 
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tesco-urgently-recalls-popular-butter-26555672
 
This recall occurred on 22nd March but as I am posting this, the FSA still have not put details in their website under “Food Alerts”.
 
The importance of this is preventing as many people as possible from eating the butter who have already bought it.
 
It is likely that the butter contained Coliforms which are a hygiene indicator that generally reflect the general microbiological quality of the milk.  
 
Coliforms can be easily killed by heat (Pasteurisation) and these bacteria can also be used as an indicator of heat treatment failure as well as post heat treatment contamination.
 
In our time, we have spoken to many families who have suffered similar to ourselves. If you suffer from E.coli O157 and if it leads to Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) you have approximately 1/3 chance of having long term health problems such as diabetes, kidney, Brain damage etc. Some also unfortunately die.
 
If you develop HUS there is no specific treatment or cure.
 
Last week we were speaking to a mum whose son has had several operations in his relatively short life including a kidney transplant and is also deaf and blind due to this bacterium.
 
With E.coli O157 it needs less bacterium than the size of a pinhead to make you seriously ill.
 
It is my understanding that the legal requirement is “Food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe”. (unsafe means if it is considered to be injurious to health).

Whilst product recalls are a good idea, I believe some companies maybe flouting the law by allowing products which they have not insured are safe prior to sale, to be sold and then recall them once a problem is identified.

At this FSA Board meeting they introduced a new strategy, covering the period 2022-2027. The strategy’s main aims are “Food is safe”, “Food is what it says it is” & “Food is healthier and more sustainable”.

Whilst these aims are most admirable and things most people would probably want to see, the reality I believe is that they are not achievable given what changes they are proposing to make to the food regulatory and enforcement system.

Without being political the well has been dry for far too long as we have not invested as a nation in services that help protect the public.

In the area of food protection, we have local authorities who do not have enough Environmental Health Officers or Environmental Health Practitioners due to cutbacks in budgets and who are now just recovering from the Covid -19 pandemic where their resources were often used elsewhere.

The latest FSA Board meeting mentioned that only 71% of local authorities planned food inspections were completed in quarter 3 against the local authorities plans. We also note that as a result of the pandemic more food businesses applied to be registered possibly due to some setting up as new and working from home etc.  

In relation to vets and meat hygiene there is a shortage.
The British Veterinary Association in point 8 of their LFSOO31 document states In the Migration Advisory Committee review of the Shortage Occupation List published in May 2019, this shortage of vets was recognised: 

Approximately 67 vets have been employed from aboard, however due to mainly language problems (Not their fault) they are having to work under supervision on a temporary registration basis until they can demonstrate the required standard of English.

The board also discussed the continued low morale within their field operational staff who are the frontline staff carrying out inspections etc. Maybe this is not surprising considering their “Operations Transformation – Change Programme” which plans to reduce physical inspections.

Considering the FSA has had responsibility for meat hygiene in the last 22 years since they were formed you might think that their management would have kept an eye on the vet shortages etc.

Also, as the FSA Claim to be an Independent Government Department one might have thought they could raise their concerns more publicly about any skill shortages or concerns etc in any area that might impact their work.

When the FSA talk about “Food is healthier” they are often talking about obesity. As a regulator it is hard to ask a large food business to reformulate their products to remove as much salt and sugar as possible when you intend to leave them mark their own work by carrying out some of their own food safety inspections.

Whilst I am sure that most civil servants across government including the FSA do their work to a high standard, there needs to be the political will, good management structure(s) including leadership, sufficient staff and resources, that can bring about beneficial change in relation to public health.   

Please keep sharing the Petition, as all food safety is important no matter what you choose to eat.
 
Thank you for your continued help and support and stay safe.