Food Standards Agency ‘bystander’ in food safety
The Liberal Democrats have accused the Food Standards Agency of being a ‘bystander’ in food safety.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Andrew George claimed that the Agency has stood by whilst producers and retailers have quietly re-introduced the use of antibiotics in chickens.
Mr George was responding to reports that one in five poultry companies have reverted to the use of growth promoting antibiotics in feed. Producers and retailers dropped their use after widespread public concern about the practice three years ago.
Mr George commented: ‘News that some British poultry meat producers have reverted to the use of growth promoting antibiotics in feed, alongside recent evidence that adulterated chicken meat is arriving into this country from the Netherlands, are areas where British consumers deserve assurance that the Food Standards Agency is on top of its brief.’
The Liberal Democrats claimed that whilst the Agency was ‘anxious’ to divert its resources into making ‘controversial interventions’ in the GM debate it had ignored its responsibilities as a consumer champion.
‘With so much uncertainty, sourcing organically produced food from Britain may well provide reassurance to some consumers.
“But curiously, the FSA’s Chairman, Professor John Krebs, has refused to accede to a request made by Environment Minister, Michael Meacher that it provides guidance to consumers about organically produced food,’ Mr George remarked.
The Soil Association is pressing the Secretary of State, Margaret Beckett, to ‘officially’ take up the case that the use of such antibiotics is illegal under EU legislation. The use of antibiotic growth promoters are to be banned from 2006.
Richard Young, the Soil Association’s advisor on antibiotics added, “We welcome Mrs Beckett’s agreement to take action on the illegal use of growth promoters, but she has presided over a period of increased drug use on farms and it is clear that her department is not in control of the situation.
“The Government must provide a stronger lead on this issue and give farmers more guidance and support to switch to methods of rearing animals that allow drug use to be reduced.”
Despite such concerns, the Assured Chicken Production (ACP) insists that the use of the antibiotics pose no risk to human health.
ACP spokesman Colin Spedding said that the substances used could not create, as some have feared, an antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’.
“They are not used in human medicine”, he told ITN. “They are not related to those used in human medicine, so there is no risk of increasing resistance because of their use.”
