FSA create food contamination task force

20/05/05 Following a series of scares that have recently gripped the UK, The Food Standards Agency has set up an incidents task force to manage and reduce incidents of food contamination. The task force will strengthen existing controls in the food chain in order to reduce the possibility of future contamination incidents occurring such as those involving Para Red and Sudan I, and to improve the management of such incidents where they do occur.

The FSA said that the task forces’ principle roles would be to: • identify practical ways of reducing the likelihood of food contamination incidents occurring, • identify ways of deciding upon the proportionality of any response, ensure that the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in risk management of food contamination incidents are clearly agreed so that action is taken quickly, • effectively and proportionately if incidents do occur identify ways that the Agency might champion the uptake of the measures identified.

The task force will be chaired by the Agency’s Chief Executive, Dr Jon Bell, and will include senior representatives from the food industry, enforcement authorities and consumer organisations as well as two independent members. (See below for list of organisations invited to participate) “In the light of recent Sudan I and Para Red food withdrawals we need to find practical ways of reducing the number of incidents of food contamination. When they do occur, we need quick, effective and appropriate action from all those involved,” said Julia Unwin, Acting Chair of the FSA. “The task force will help us achieve the overall objectives in our strategic plan to work with industry to reduce high and medium risk incidents by 25%,” Unwin added.