Food: Safety

(asked on 15th March 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the EU to ensure that the new food safety assurance systems proposed by the Food Standards Agency, and based on private sector oversight, will not jeopardise access to EU markets in the future.


Answered by
Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait
Lord O'Shaughnessy
This question was answered on 29th March 2018

The United Kingdom Government has not conducted any formal discussions with European Union representatives regarding the Food Standards Agency (FSA) strategic regulatory transformation programme, Regulating Our Future (ROF).

The UK Government continues to engage with the FSA in the delivery and implementation of its ROF programme. The FSA uses an open policy-making approach. This means that it will continue to share thinking, ideas and concepts related to the delivery and implementation of the ROF programme with UK Ministers and wider stakeholders before any policy options are agreed through a formal consultation process.

The UK Government will need to be assured as the UK prepares to leave the EU, that there remains a robust and effective regulatory regime for maintaining the safety and authenticity of food for the benefit of UK consumers and the UK food industry. Leaving the EU will change patterns of food production, trade and consumption, emphasising the need for a modern, robust and responsive regulatory system. The timeline for implementation of the FSA’s strategic ROF programme is aligned with that of EU Exit and changes are being designed to support the process of exiting the EU. The FSA is clear that any changes made to the delivery model prior to or around the time of EU Exit will strengthen the current regime and at no point will ROF propose changes that could cause difficulties for food business operators wishing to export food post-EU Exit.

Reticulating Splines