The agenda and papers for the latest Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board meeting are now available here along with the questions posed during the session. 

The meeting, which was held on 20th March 2024, included discussions on: 

• Governance Review 
• Regulated Products 
• Precision Breeding 
• Foodborne Disease 
• Strategic Risk Management 
• Report from the Chair of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee 

Of particular interest to members may be the response to public consultation on proposals for a new framework in England for the regulation of Precision Bred Organisms, plans for secondary legislation, and next steps: 

FSA 24-03-05 - Precision Breeding – Response to Public Consultation and Next Steps 

The consultation ran for two months, closing on 8th January 2024 and attracted a total of 412 responses, a summary of which can be found here. 

Also of interest may be the paper giving an overview of foodborne disease in the UK and how the FSA and others throughout the food chain are mitigating the associated risks:  

FSA 24-03-06 - Foodborne Disease Policy Overview 

Members may have seen recent reports in the media regarding the possible ban of  imports of Polish chicken due to salmonella.  

The BFFF have checked with the FSA, and they have confirmed there has been no change in FSA position since their last communication in January and have provided the following statement: 

I-006-612 Polish poultry import controls. 

Brief to Trader 

Consumer safety is our highest priority, and the FSA takes all necessary steps to protect public health. 

The FSA has been working collaboratively with Other Government Departments, agencies and with help from industry, to assess available information and potential options for managing an ongoing incident concerning Salmonella contaminated poultry products and eggs imported from Poland. 

Engagement with the Polish authorities has meant that action has been taken to improve the safety and compliance of poultry meat and eggs imported from Poland. 

New UK import controls came into place in January for EU commodities requiring Polish Official Veterinarians to sign Export Health Certificates as well as providing higher level traceability data. From the end of April, full import controls will allow UK border authorities to undertake physical checks on products and if necessary, take targeted action against non-compliant EU products. 

We are not currently considering the introduction of any additional measure to control imports of eggs and poultry meat from Poland. However, given the seasonal nature of Salmonella, we will continue to actively monitor the situation and protect consumers. Should the number of incidents increase, or we receive any other data that shows consumers are at risk, we will take the necessary action. This includes controls on specific importers and additional testing by the exporting authorities. 

On 28th February the Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched a consultation on new guidance for mechanically separated meat (MSM). This new guidance is intended to provide support for Food Business Operators (FBO’s) following the court rulings on MSM that clarify how the definition of MSM should be interpreted and applied.  

Feedback from the consultation is sought specifically on: 

• the effectiveness of the MSM guidance document in providing support in light of the Court Judgments 
• the impacts of FBOs adapting their activities and operations in line with Court judgments 
• whether there are wider issues around MSM that the FSA, or indeed wider government, should be seeking to address and why  

The draft guidance and consultation pack can be accessed here 

Responses are required by close 22nd May 2024 via the MSM Consultation online survey . 

Feedback can also be emailed to meathygiene@food.gov.uk   

Within three months of the consultation ending, the FSA aim to publish a summary of responses received. 

The BFFF are aware that a several of our members may be affected by this new guidance and would therefore appreciate sight of any comments or concerns you may have. As always, your communications will be treated in the strictest confidence but will help to inform any next steps and ensure you are effectively represented. Please email deniserion@bfff.co.uk. 

On 12th March, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced plans to give shoppers more information about how and where their food is produced and ensure British farmers’ products get the recognition they deserve.  

In response to the proposals, Defra have launched a consultation seeking views on options for changing origin labelling including:    

• Mandatory origin labelling for minimally processed meat products, such as bacon  
• Increased visibility of origin labelling  
• Mandatory origin labelling for certain foods in the out of home sector, for example restaurants  
• Greater control of the use of national flags on labels 

The consultation also proposes:  

• A mandatory label with five tiers and underpinning standards that are primarily based on method of production, differentiating between products that fall below, meet and exceed relevant baseline UK animal welfare regulations.   
• The label would cover pork, chicken and eggs applying to both domestic and imported products. Labelling for dairy, beef and sheep meat will be kept under review, subject to further consultation. 
• This would apply to all unprocessed pork, chicken and eggs and certain prepacked and loose minimally processed products with pork, chicken or egg.  

They are also seeking views more generally on how seafood is labelled. 

The consultation will run for eight weeks, closing at 23:45 on 7th May 2024. 

You can read more in the recent press release  

DSIT, the Cabinet Office and the Central Digital and Data Office have published details regarding the artificial intelligence (AI) tool to be used for the FSA Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). 

The aim of this tool is to help local authorities manage the hygiene inspection of food establishments in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It supports local authorities to prioritise which businesses to inspect, by predicting which might be at a higher risk of non-compliance with food hygiene regulations.  

The tool is made up of a machine learning model, integrated into a web application that can be accessed by Stakeholders within the Local Authorities (LAs) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  

The model is trained to predict the food hygiene rating of an establishment awaiting its first inspection, as well as predicting whether the establishment is compliant or not. 

More detail can be found here 

Members of the House of Lords completed their detailed scrutiny of the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill, in committee stage on Thursday 14th March. 

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill seeks to end the export of certain animals for fattening and slaughter from and through England, Wales, and Scotland. 

Starting from the front of the bill, members work through the clauses in order, considering changes (amendments) to the wording or proposals for new clauses.  

Proposed changes     

Having worked through the clauses in order, members speaking at committee stage then put forward amendments to the bill on subjects including extending the list of relevant livestock and reviewing the impact of the Act once passed, including the number of livestock imported to Great Britain and the welfare standards of those livestock. 

• Watch the Parliament TV recording. 
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript. 

In recent years, choosing a vegan option has surged in popularity, with more individuals embracing plant-based diets for health and other reasons. While this dietary shift offers numerous benefits, it also presents challenges for those with food allergies, particularly to animal-based products such as egg, milk, or fish.  

Recent figures released by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) highlight a concerning trend: a significant number of individuals allergic to animal-based products are unaware that foods labelled vegan or plant-based can still contain traces of ‘animal’ allergens, putting them at risk of allergic reactions. 

According to the FSA’s research: 

– 54% of those who react to products of animal origin have used vegan labelling to assess whether a food is safe to eat at least sometimes when buying packaged food. 

– 53% of those who buy for someone with a food sensitivity to products of animal origin have relied on vegan labelling in this way at least sometimes when purchasing packaged food. 

– Alarmingly, 25% were unaware they should check for a Precautionary Allergen Label (PAL) statement on vegan food/drink to inform a decision on whether it’s safe to consume. 

However, amidst these findings, there’s a glimmer of hope. The FSA, in collaboration with Anaphylaxis UK, has launched an awareness campaign to address this critical issue. The campaign’s purpose is twofold: to alert individuals with animal-based allergies that vegan or plant-based products may not always be safe for consumption and to emphasize the importance of always checking food labels and ingredient lists for possible allergens. 

The campaign aims to enhance understanding of the distinctions between vegan or plant-based labels and free-from labels. This knowledge empowers consumers to make informed decisions and ensures their safety when choosing these products. 

Simon Williams, Chief Executive of Anaphylaxis UK, expressed support for the campaign, stating, “We are delighted to be involved in this campaign and highlight the importance of reading allergen labels on products, in particular food labelled vegan. It is easy to assume that vegan products are free from animal products that someone may be allergic to, but this is not always the case, so it is very important to check the pack and the ingredients with allergens highlighted.” 

With these developments in mind, it’s crucial for individuals with food allergies, especially those allergic to animal-based products, to adopt proactive measures when navigating vegan food options. 

You can read more here: Vegan Food Allergens | Anaphylaxis UK 

The European Foods Safety Authority (EFSA) have recently reported their 2022 results from the monitoring of veterinary medicinal product residues and other substances in live animals and animal products across EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.  

A total of 600,320 samples were reported to the European Commission consisting of:  

• 342,850 targeted samples 
• 3,892 suspect samples reported under Council Directive 96/23/EC, 
• 2,772 samples collected at import  
• 250,806 samples collected in the framework of programmes developed under the national legislation.  

The report shows that most countries fulfilled the minimum requirements for sampling frequency and overall, the percentage of non-compliant samples in 2022 (0.18%) was comparable to the previous 13 years (0.17%-0.37%). 

You can read the report in full here.