§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Food Standards Agency's strategy for ensuring food safety through the testing of food samples at public analyst laboratories; [123609]
(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the numbers of (a) tests of food samples and (b) public analyst laboratories. [123610]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonIt is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to monitor the food sampling carried out under the Food Safety Act 1990 by local authorities. I am aware that the FSA has raised its concerns about the general decline in food sampling and the wide variation in sampling levels between414W authorities. Given the importance of food sampling and analyses as part of a local authority food law enforcement service, I am pleased to note that the FSA is taking forward a number of initiatives in close liaison with local authorities and the Association of Public Analysts to address these concerns and to ensure that food sampling contributes effectively to consumer protection. Initiatives include:
Working with Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Association of Public Analysts to develop better coordination and targeting of UK food sampling activity;Auditing local authorities with low levels of sampling activity and requiring remedial action plans;A specific audit programme focused on sampling arrangements including visits to Public Analyst and Health Protection Agency laboratories to help identify key actions necessary to address sampling activity;Developing a UK Samples Database to help local authorities and the Agency target sampling programmes effectively; andNew guidance on food sampling for local authority enforcement officers.I am aware that the Association of Public Analysts has expressed concerns about the impact that declining sampling levels have had on the viability of certain individual public analyst laboratories. Relevant initiatives being taken forward by the FSA to improve local authority food sampling activity are being carried out in close liaison with the Association of Public Analysts to help ensure appropriate laboratory capacity and analytical capabilities.
A paper on food sampling was discussed by the FSA Board at an open meeting on 10 July 2003 at Kensington Town Hall.