Difference between revisions of "Food Standards Agency"
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The FSA has also been accused of seeking to weaken guidelines on GM at an international level. A report from Dr Michael Hansen of America's Consumers Union, and a Consumers International representative, at the Codex Ad Hoc Working Group on Allergenicity (10-12 September, Vancouver), comments on the role of [[Nick Tomlinson]] of the UK Food Standards Agency at the meeting. 'The representative from the UK, Nick Tomlinson, played a key role in producing the weak guidelines, along with Canada and Australia supporting the US. Tomlinson helped to push the notion that the guidelines should be more general in scope (even though the explicit terms of reference called for developing "detailed procedures" (for assessing allergenicity) and never objected to abandoning the decision tree.' | The FSA has also been accused of seeking to weaken guidelines on GM at an international level. A report from Dr Michael Hansen of America's Consumers Union, and a Consumers International representative, at the Codex Ad Hoc Working Group on Allergenicity (10-12 September, Vancouver), comments on the role of [[Nick Tomlinson]] of the UK Food Standards Agency at the meeting. 'The representative from the UK, Nick Tomlinson, played a key role in producing the weak guidelines, along with Canada and Australia supporting the US. Tomlinson helped to push the notion that the guidelines should be more general in scope (even though the explicit terms of reference called for developing "detailed procedures" (for assessing allergenicity) and never objected to abandoning the decision tree.' | ||
| − | 2002 saw the publication of an FSA-commissioned study by researchers at the University of Newcastle to see if GM DNA survived human digestion or transfers to gut bacteria | + | 2002 saw the publication of an FSA-commissioned study by researchers at the University of Newcastle to see if GM DNA survived human digestion or transfers to gut bacteria - possibilities that have been dismissed by the biotech industry in spite of existing evidence to the contrary in rodents. The study found that GM DNA survived in the small intestine but did not survive passage through the colon; however, alarmingly, bacteria in the gut had taken up GM DNA. Research leader Prof Harry Gilbert played down dangers, saying, 'There is some evidence of gene transfer, but it is at an extremely low rate and therefore it probably does not represent a significant risk to human health'. The FSA spun the research into meaning that GM foods are safe, a conclusion disputed by other human geneticists, such as Dr Michael Antoniou of Guy's Hospital, London, who said the results indicated the need for extensive GM food testing. |
Other GM-related FSA research has proven equally controversial. A proposed 18-month study aimed at monitoring the health effects of consuming GM foods was dismissed by a leading epidemiologist as 'worthless'. While a professor of food microbiology pointed out, 'It took decades to prove the link between smoking and ill health, and that was fairly obvious. I wouldn't expect them to find anything meaningful in 18 months.' ([http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/798762.stm BBC: GM eating habits study 'worthless']) | Other GM-related FSA research has proven equally controversial. A proposed 18-month study aimed at monitoring the health effects of consuming GM foods was dismissed by a leading epidemiologist as 'worthless'. While a professor of food microbiology pointed out, 'It took decades to prove the link between smoking and ill health, and that was fairly obvious. I wouldn't expect them to find anything meaningful in 18 months.' ([http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/798762.stm BBC: GM eating habits study 'worthless']) | ||
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==Hutton== | ==Hutton== | ||
| − | Deirdre Hutton the chair of the FSA from July 2005 has strong corporate links including shares in [[GlaxoSmithKline]], [[Tesco]], [[Unilever]], [[BskyB]], and Scottish Radio to a value of approximately | + | Deirdre Hutton the chair of the FSA from July 2005 has strong corporate links including shares in [[GlaxoSmithKline]], [[Tesco]], [[Unilever]], [[BskyB]], and Scottish Radio to a value of approximately ,500. [http://www.food.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/dierdrehutton/] |
==Board members corporate links== | ==Board members corporate links== | ||
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*Prof [[Andrew Miller]][http://ngin.tripod.com/130303d.htm], an FSA board member from April 2003, who as General Secretary of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] took the lead role in seeking to reassure the [[Scottish Parliament]]'s Health and Community Care Committee over the safety of GM Crop Trials - the Committee were not convinced by his evidence. | *Prof [[Andrew Miller]][http://ngin.tripod.com/130303d.htm], an FSA board member from April 2003, who as General Secretary of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] took the lead role in seeking to reassure the [[Scottish Parliament]]'s Health and Community Care Committee over the safety of GM Crop Trials - the Committee were not convinced by his evidence. | ||
*[[Richard Ayre]] [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/richardayre], an FSA board member from September 2001, who is a member of the advisory council of the pro-GM lobby group [[Sense About Science]]. | *[[Richard Ayre]] [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/richardayre], an FSA board member from September 2001, who is a member of the advisory council of the pro-GM lobby group [[Sense About Science]]. | ||
| − | *[[Vernon Sankey]], an FSA board member from September 2001, who is a former Board member of the Grocery Manufacturers of America and a former Council member of the | + | *[[Vernon Sankey]], an FSA board member from September 2001, who is a former Board member of the Grocery Manufacturers of America and a former Council member of the UK's [[Food and Drink Federation]]. |
*[[Graham Millar]] a former vice-Chair of [[Quality Meat Scotland]] a meat industry promotional group; with shares in [[Unilever]] and [[Cadbury Schweppes]] [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/graememillar]; | *[[Graham Millar]] a former vice-Chair of [[Quality Meat Scotland]] a meat industry promotional group; with shares in [[Unilever]] and [[Cadbury Schweppes]] [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/graememillar]; | ||
*[[Maureeen Edmondson]] a former [[Mars]] executive and an active member of the [[International Life Sciences Institute]], the leading food industry front group) [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/maureenedmondson]; | *[[Maureeen Edmondson]] a former [[Mars]] executive and an active member of the [[International Life Sciences Institute]], the leading food industry front group) [http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/maureenedmondson]; | ||
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==FSA PR agencies== | ==FSA PR agencies== | ||
| − | In 2003/4 the global PR firm [[Edelman]] reprted the FSA as a client. | + | In 2003/4 the global PR firm [[Edelman]] reprted the FSA as a client. Among its other clients in the UK were a list of fast food and pharma companies including: |
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| + | [[Aventis Pharma]], [[Burger King]] International, [[Merck Sharp & Dohme]], [[Novartis]], [[PepsiCo]], [[Pfizer Health Solutions]], [[Pfizer Consumer Health]], [[Procter & Gamble]], [[Roche Diagnostics]], [[Snack Nut and Crisp Manufacturers Association]] (SNACMA). The [[Toy Industries of Europe]] is also listed as a client which has a direct interest in the FSA's work on advertising to children. These clients raise questions of a potential conflict of interest. | ||