Under its new remit, the Food Standards Association will lose its responsibilities for nutrition and labeling, instead focusing on issues of food safety. Nutrition and labeling issues will instead be dealt with by the Department of Health.
Andrew Lansley said: "Our ambition is to create a public health system that truly helps people live longer and healthier lives. To achieve it, we can't stand still. Changes are inevitable.
"It's absolutely crucial for the Food Standards Agency to continue to provide independent expert advice to people about food safety. But bringing nutrition policy into the department makes sense. It will enable a clear, consistent public health service to be created, as our Public Health White Paper later this year will set out.
"I believe, in the long term, we'll have a clearer and less bureaucratic system for public health. The end result will focus on turning expert advice and support into better health."
70 jobs will move from the FSA to the Department of Health.
The food industry has responded positively to the announcement. In a statement today the Food and Drink Federation said: “As the voice of the UK food and drink manufacturing sector, we believe it is important to maintain an independent food safety regulator and fully support today’s decision by the Government to retain the Food Standards Agency.
“The FSA has helped to create an environment in which public confidence in the food they eat has grown significantly in recent years and it makes sense to build on that by focusing the Agency’s future activities on safety and hygiene issues. We look forward to working closely with our regulator to ensure that we maintain these high levels of consumer trust.
“We also support the decision to move responsibility for nutrition, and other food policy issues, back into Government departments. This should lead to clearer and more consistent policy making, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort across Whitehall.”
Edited by Ben Lobel
Andrew Lansley said: "Our ambition is to create a public health system that truly helps people live longer and healthier lives. To achieve it, we can't stand still. Changes are inevitable.
"It's absolutely crucial for the Food Standards Agency to continue to provide independent expert advice to people about food safety. But bringing nutrition policy into the department makes sense. It will enable a clear, consistent public health service to be created, as our Public Health White Paper later this year will set out.
"I believe, in the long term, we'll have a clearer and less bureaucratic system for public health. The end result will focus on turning expert advice and support into better health."
70 jobs will move from the FSA to the Department of Health.
The food industry has responded positively to the announcement. In a statement today the Food and Drink Federation said: “As the voice of the UK food and drink manufacturing sector, we believe it is important to maintain an independent food safety regulator and fully support today’s decision by the Government to retain the Food Standards Agency.
“The FSA has helped to create an environment in which public confidence in the food they eat has grown significantly in recent years and it makes sense to build on that by focusing the Agency’s future activities on safety and hygiene issues. We look forward to working closely with our regulator to ensure that we maintain these high levels of consumer trust.
“We also support the decision to move responsibility for nutrition, and other food policy issues, back into Government departments. This should lead to clearer and more consistent policy making, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of effort across Whitehall.”
Edited by Ben Lobel