Food agency must earn trust

24 November 1999



‘Food agency must earn trust’

TRUSTWORTHINESS is the one quality above all needed by the Food Standards Agency, according to a Financial Times editorial opinion.

The newspaper reminds readers that trust is one aspect of the agencys work that will be difficult to achieve given the recent series of food scares.

It urges the new agency to avoid “sterile arguments” about risk and concentrate on “establishing the scientific evidence, with clear explanations of the uncertainties”.

The FT revealed in Tuesdays edition that Sir John Krebs, a research professor in zoology at Oxford University, was the “front runner” to head the agency.

Sir John became unpopular with animal rights campaigners and farmers alike for his role in masterminding a trial cull of badgers blamed for a recent surge in cattle tuberculosis.

• Krebs to run Food Standards Agency?, FWi, 23 November, 1999
• Food Standards Agency imminent, FWi, 23 January, 1999
• Brown to set Food Standards Agency agenda, FWi, 25 November, 1998
  
• Financial Times 24/11/99 page 24 (Editorial)