Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the desirability of separating responsibility for food safety policy and responsibility for food standards policy in England between the Food Standards Agency and his Department.

George Eustice

The Food Standards Authority is responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the UK, and for food law enforcement. Their strategic objective is safer food for the nation in order to protect the consumer.

Defra is responsible for non-safety related food compositional standards and labelling policy in England. Most of these standards are set under EU legislation considered by EU Agriculture Council and there are synergies with the equivalent standards set through the Common Agricultural Policy. The underlying reason for regulating in these areas is to set internationally recognised standards to facilitate trade and ensure a level playing field for food businesses, whilst protecting consumers against product misdescription. Food composition and standards policy is not generally related to food safety.