As the government's 'bonfire of the quangos' continues, many organisations are facing either being closed down or having their budgets cut. The Food Standards Agency (FSA)- the department responsible for public health in relation to food - was on the chopping block, but word has just come through that it has survived.
As a result, however, the FSA will have much reduced responsibilities and funding. It will now focus on maintaining public confidence in food safety, whilst the following responsibilities will be handed over to other departments (the Department of Health and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs):
• The enforcement of laws surrounding 'country of origin' food labels
• Anti-obesity and anti-junk food campaigns
Some experts in leading food jobs have claimed that the FSA is lucky to have survived at all. The organisation has been involved in numerous scandals in the past including the mis-labelling of Hungarian produce as 'locally produced' and incompetency during the outbreak of avian flu in Norfolk turkeys.
Despite the FSA's dubious track record, Defra has released a statement saying:
"...public confidence in food safety issues will be protected, as the Government confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with a renewed focus on food safety."
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