The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said at its board meeting this week it is to undertake a far-reaching rethink on the system for charging for inspections at food business operations (FBO). Its recommendations are scheduled to be considered by the body as early as this summer.
Agency chiefs made the decision to launch the review after considering a report that said the current charging arrangements are inconsistently applied across sectors and there is no strong link between the fees paid and compliance with food safety legislation. It added the present system actually discourages greater responsibility by FBO for delivery of official controls.
Cost recovery and centralisation
The food watchdog’s chair, Jeff Rooker, said the reassessment would seek to modernise the UK’s current system.
“The UK food sector is one of the most sophisticated and developed in the world,” he said. “The current official control delivery arrangements do not mirror the modern food supply chain with food businesses ranging from multinationals and global brands to single artisan producers operating across local authority boundaries.”
But the report also fully acknowledged that a “key principle” of the review was to make the inspection regime cost effective, the FSA aiming for full recovery of its costs.
Rooker echoed this yesterday when he said: “The heart of the FSA’s role is protecting public health from risks, which may arise in eating food, including the way it is produced or supplied. In the current climate of financial pressures it is timely to consider how best we can secure consistency and sustainability in this fundamental public health protection function.”
In effect, this is likely to result in an extension of the number of FBOs subject to inspection charges. Under the current regime, fee for official inspections apply at slaughterhouses, meat cutting sites and fish processing plants - but not at registered food and feed establishments, nor dairy processors or fish cutting facilities.
The FSA has anticipated that any changes to the fees system could trigger industry opposition but said changing the present system could result in a failure to improve food safety and compliance by businesses. It would also run the risk of not being able to influence EU policy, which is currently being re-examined.
Objective
Rook pledged the review would be “objective with no pre-determined outcome”. It would look at a range of options, including a more centralised model with one body in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland responsible for carrying out scrutiny of FBOs in their countries.
”The review will be undertaken by FSA staff but overseen by an independent representative. It will be done in partnership and seek the co-operation and involvement of other public health organisations, individuals, other Government departments, professional bodies and consumers across the UK,” explained the FSA chair.
The agency board to scheduled to consider the progress of the review and any proposals for action at its July 2011 meeting.