Minutes of meeting held on 17 October 2002

Minutes of Foodaware meetings

CFG 24/02

Foodaware: the Consumers' Food Group
Minutes of the sixth meeting - held on 17 October 2002
UK European Parliament, Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1

Minutes of the last meeting
Matters arising:
  Draft proposals for processing membership applications (CFG 18/02)
  Member organisations' profile paper (CFG 19/02)
  Eating Well paper - update (CFG 12/02 rev.)
  Commission novel foods consultation (CFG 20/02)
  Veterinary Medicines Directorate
UK and EU Update and campaigns
Enforcement:
  Presentation: Ann Goodwin, Head of Local Authority Enforcement, FSA
  Revised Foodaware Enforcement paper (CFG 13/02 rev.)
  Commission proposals on official controls of products of animal origin - COM (2002) 377 final
Pesticides - Foodaware's opinion on the European Commission's Communication on the sustainable use of pesticides
Common Fisheries Policy
Fish farming/aquaculture
Health claims - update
Any other business

Present

Members:

Paul Allen - European Food Law Association UK
Erica Bargman - European Union of Women
Judy Brander - National Council of Women
John Godfrey - ERICA
Mike Jobson - Trading Standards Institute
Susan Knox - Chair CEG and UKROFS
Penny McNeill - General Consumer Council for N.I.
Helen Millar - National Consumer Federation
Mike O’Neill - National Consumer Council
Sue Payne - National Consumer Federation
Pamela Pollock - Townswomen’s Guild
Jacquie Salfield - Institute of Consumer Sciences
Alma Williams - ECOSOC & EU Standing Group on Sheep Meat
Margaret Williams - National Federation of Women’s Institutes
Anne Wilson - Meat Hygiene Advisory Committee

Observers:

Tansy Feltis - Consumer Branch, FSA
Ann Goodwin - Head of Local Authority Enforcement, FSA.

Foodaware:

Ann Davison - Manager
Lucy Harris - UK Co-ordinator
Jane Jeffreys - Administrator
Robert Moreland - Consultant
Caroline Naett - Researcher

Apologies:

Gillian Asbury (Consumer Branch, FSA); Professor Ruth Chadwick (ACNFP); Janet Graham (Individual member); Jeanette Longfield (Sustain); Jenny Morris (CIEH); Sylvia Owen (National Council of Women); Barbara Saunders (UK Expert Group on Vitamins & Minerals); Stella Walsh (NCF); Grace Wedekind (European Centre, ICW).

1. Welcome and apologies for absence

Susan Knox (Chair) welcomed everyone to the meeting, including the two representatives from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Ann Goodwin and Tansy Feltis. It was noted that a number of apologies had been received and would be added to the minutes.

2. Minutes of the last meeting

Members were invited to comment on the draft minutes of the last meeting (CFG 16/02). It was noted that Mike O’Neill had been omitted from the list of attendees, while Anne Wilson’s apologies had not been included. Sue Payne mentioned that the FSA Expert Panel on Choking on Food had not met yet. The first meeting had been delayed until 31 October and she would be happy to raise any comments from Foodaware members. Subject to these amendments, the minutes were agreed as a true record of the meeting.

Lucy commented on the action points:

Follow-up suggestions re FSA relations with consumer groups and development of Foodaware as appropriate. A number of developments had taken place, e.g. the invitation to the FSA enforcement department to attend the members’ meeting and the efforts to widen membership.
Forward Paul Allen’s name to BNF re their request for representative on their Consensus Platform steering group. Done.
Forward the Health Claims paper to FSA for 5 July deadline. Done.
Find out more about forthcoming FSA Pesticide Action Plan. Done.
Get more information and a copy of the GM report. Pending.
Nutrition paper to be finalised and distributed. Paper finalised and distribution ongoing. Members invited to distribute this paper widely.
Eating Well paper – send to BNF & FSA for verification and comment. Done. Final version to go on website. See agenda item 3.3.
Organic paper – Make final revisions and distribute asap. Finalised but not yet distributed.
Enforcement paper to be further developed and re-circulated for comment. Done.
Fish farming paper to be revised in time to respond to Commission proposal in autumn. In hand.
Await further details from NCW about joint work. Pending.

3. Matters arising

3.1 Draft proposals for processing membership applications (CFG 18/02)

The Chair invited members’ comments on this paper. Concern was raised about the documentation applicants were being asked to submit, for example, a copy of their constitution (or equivalent) as it was thought this was overly official and that Foodaware itself did not have a constitution. It was noted, however, that the ERICA constitution formed Foodaware’s legal basis. It was agreed that the relevant section should be reworded.

ACTION: LH to amend the paper and send to Steering Group for final approval.

On the issue of widening the Foodaware membership base, Ann Davison said that a number of poverty, children’s and ethnic minority group organisations had been invited to attend the meeting to find out more about Foodaware. The Child Poverty Action Group and Girlguiding UK had expressed interest but were unable to attend on this occasion. None of the ethnic minority groups had responded and it was agreed that more time was needed to pursue this. It was suggested that they should be invited to be on the list-serve for information.

ACTION: To continue to encourage the above groups (and other relevant ones) to get involved in Foodaware, either by attending a meeting and/or being on the list-serve (AD, SK and LH).

3.2 Member organisations’ profile paper (CFG 19/02)

The Chair reminded members that this document was being compiled with the aim of publishing it on the website. Members were asked to check the section on their organisation and provide either Jane or Lucy with corrections as soon as possible.

ACTION: All members to check their section and forward corrections to Jane or Lucy as soon as possible. Document to be finalised and put on the Foodaware website.

3.3 Eating Well paper – update (CFG 12/02 rev.)

Lucy noted that experts at both the FSA and the British Nutrition Foundation had commented on the paper since the last meeting. They had been asked to ensure it was accurate and consistent with public and professional nutritional advice. The new version incorporated their comments. However, there were two sections – the one on allergies and also the wording on GMOs – where FSA’s suggested amendments had been inconsistent with Foodaware policy. Members were asked to comment on these sections.

Members made the following suggestions:

To keep the section on allergies/food intolerances as originally drafted but add a sentence, at the end of the first paragraph, advising people to contact their GP or Health Visitor if in doubt. It was agreed that the aim should be to give sensible, non-alarmist advice.
To add some additional wording to the section on GM foods. Again, the aim should be to describe the present situation in a neutral way. Links to relevant policy papers on the website could be made.
To amend the first paragraph of the organic food section to reflect the fact that some chemicals are used but are strictly controlled and their use limited.

It was also noted that an updated section on Fair trade would be circulated on the list-serve for comment, the British Nutrition Foundation would be added to the sources, and the whole paper would be proof read before being published.

Members congratulated Foodaware for producing this paper that gave simple and useful advice in a clear and accessible way. In response to a question about its target audience, Ann Davison said that while this was very broad, it was particularly aimed at providing a resource for Foodaware’s member organisations. Members were asked to remind their members to look at the Foodaware website and also to initiate arrangements to link to the site.

ACTION: Paper to be finalised with above amendments, sent to FSA and BNF for information, and put on the Foodaware website as soon as possible (CN, AD and LH). Foodaware website to be promoted through the membership (members).

3.4 Commission novel foods consultation (CFG 20/02)

Lucy explained that this paper had been prepared under a limited timeframe and members had commented via the list-serve. It had been sent to the Commission and FSA in time for the 30 September deadline. However, it had been sent as draft because there were one or two points where further discussion was needed - in particular section 3.2 on post-market surveillance (p3). Members were asked to comment on this section.

It was noted that a recent FSA meeting had discussed this issue and that it was still open for comments. Members then agreed some changes to the text of this section. The first sentence should read ‘Foodaware proposes that arrangements for post-marketing surveillance should be instituted as an integral part of the approval procedure.’ The first sentence of the second paragraph should be deleted. An additional sentence should be added reading ‘Foodaware is not aware of any products that have been withdrawn as a result.’

ACTION: CN to finalise the text including the above amendments. The final version of paper should be sent to the Commission and FSA as soon as possible (CN and LH).

3.5 Veterinary Medicines Directorate

Judy Brander informed members that the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) had recently sent an invitation to CEG concerning consumer representation, for example, at their annual liaison meeting. It was agreed that, as CEG was about to formally disband, it would be appropriate for Foodaware to follow this up with the VMD. One possibility would be to invite the VMD Director General to a future Foodaware meeting.

A more general suggestion was made that all consumer representatives on food-related government committees should be invited to one Foodaware meeting annually and should regularly receive papers.

ACTION: LH to make contact with the VMD concerning consumer representation.

4.     UK and EU Update and campaigns

Lucy referred members to the UK and EU update reports that had been circulated via email.

4.1   UK Update

Lucy noted that the UK report gave details of the six policy papers that had been completed since the last meeting. Further, and new work, had also taken place on another five papers that were on the meeting agenda for discussion. She also mentioned several official reports of interest: the AEBC report on Animals and Biotechnology; the COT report on pesticides, and the FSA commissioned study on historic uses of MRM and its role in BSE infectivity.

4.2   EU Update

Caroline introduced her EU update report. This covered: developments on GMOs; the Commission report on food irradiation and compliance with labelling requirements; appointments at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); developments on zoonoses; Commission strategy to reduce the risks of pesticides; proposed new rules for the controls of foods of animal origin; developments concerning fish farming; new evidence concerning the sweetener cyclamate; new Commission website for registering applications for EU quality products; BSE update and, the adoption of new rules for the labelling of caffeine and quinine.

A short discussion also took place on the use of smoke flavourings in foods and the Commission proposal for these be authorised for 10 years. It was noted that this was linked to the acrylamide problem; smoked products were not checked for acrylamide that had recently been found to be carcinogenic.

The following ACTIONS were agreed:

to follow-up with FSA on food irradiation report;
to send a congratulatory letter to Geoffrey Podger, the new Executive Director of EFSA;
to lobby again on zoonoses (find out more on UK/FSA position);
to continue to track developments on pesticides;
to contact FSA on smoke flavourings, find out their position and whether there are any relevant meetings or consultations.

5. Enforcement

5.1 Ann Goodwin, Head of Local Authority Enforcement, FSA

Susan Knox introduced Ann Goodwin, Head of Local Authority Enforcement at FSA (and previously at CIEH). Foodaware had invited Ann to give a presentation concerning FSA’s work and priorities on enforcement issues.

Ann Goodwin explained that she was currently on secondment to FSA from CIEH and welcomed the opportunity to attend the Foodaware meeting in this role. She said that public health protection was at the top of FSA’s agenda; the challenge was to find the best ways to ensure this. Her division at FSA covered enforcement of food hygiene, safety and standards through Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) in England.

She had eight points she wished to cover in her presentation:

The importance of the Framework Agreement drawn up between FSA and local authorities. This document set out what was expected of local authorities and set a benchmark standard.
The Auditing Section had carried out full audits of local enforcement services of 61 local authorities over the last year. The results were published on the FSA website and follow-up was taking place to ensure action was taken where needed. Monitoring information, backed up by audit findings, showed large variations in sampling and formal enforcement measures being taken. Focussed audits, on these two aspects, would therefore take place on a selected number of local authorities in 2003. Audits in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would be done by their respective FSAs.
The Enforcement Liaison Group involved a wide range of representatives including consumer groups such as Sustain and Consumers’ Association. Foodaware might wish to consider serving on this. The Group looked strategically at enforcement and had a number of sub-groups. One of these concerned how to help local authorities with difficult decisions about prosecutions etc. A package of information and advice for local authorities was being put together.
Approximately 20 codes of practice were being reviewed and would go out for consultation in 2003.
Monitoring of Local Authorities was ongoing. One of the inevitable outcomes was that comparisons between authorities were made in the media.
The food hazard warnings and incidents team was very busy with 30-50 incidents being investigated at any one time. If an investigated incident resulted in the need for a hazard warning, notification would be sent electronically to all local authorities with details of required action and level of urgency. In some cases, the process of risk assessment, management and communication could be very complex, a recent example being that of the contamination of Chinese honey.
The FSA Board had recently considered the issue of recruitment and retention of officers. The CIEH had produced a careers pack for use in schools.
A new team was dealing the issue of imported foods based on a 10-point plan agreed by the Board in October 2001. One of the main issues was illegally imported foods and the risks these posed. DEFRA was looking at the risk to animal health of imported meat. The Cabinet Office was also about to report to No 10 on the control of imported foods (both legal and illegal).

The Chair thanked Ann Goodwin and invited questions and comments from members. A question was raised about whether audits showed up why some local authorities did less well and whether this was related to inadequate resources. Ann acknowledged that insufficient resources were a problem in some cases and some local authorities had given more to enforcement as a result.

5.2 Revised Foodaware Enforcement paper (CFG 13/02 Rev.)

A detailed discussion followed on the revised draft of Foodaware’s Enforcement paper (CFG 13/02 Rev.) Mike Jobson and Paul Allen were thanked for their work on this since the last meeting.

A number of specific amendments were made to the text. It was agreed that the most important point to emphasise was the need for uniform standards of enforcement across the EU. Also that the EFSA should carry out a review of enforcement across all member states. There was also a discussion about how to direct the Foodaware paper to have most influence on its targets (FSA, DEFRA, Local Authorities and the European Commission).

5.3 Commission proposals on official controls of products of animal origin – COM (2002) 377 final

There was not time to discuss the summary of this proposal prepared by Caroline Naett.

ACTION: PA, MJ and AD to revise the enforcement paper as discussed.

6. Pesticides – Foodaware’s opinion on the European Commission’s Communication on the sustainable use of pesticides

Robert Moreland, who had prepared the draft paper (CFG 21/02), introduced it. He said that the Commission had produced the Communication in July and, following consultation, this would be followed-up with an action plan. The Commission’s overall aim was to bring about more sustainable use of pesticides and it was concerned about public perceptions surrounding their use. In particular, the document was promoting the development and use of indicators for reductions in the use of pesticides as well as policies to promote substitution by safer alternatives to the more dangerous pesticides.

Members commented that the need for more research, especially concerning the so-called ‘cocktail effect’ of mixtures of pesticides, should be strongly emphasised in the paper. A reference to the recent COT report should be added. Members suggested that, in section 3.1 on involving consumer representation, minutes of relevant meetings should be published. Members also suggested mentioning the lack of data concerning how the use of chemicals in the environment could be linked to the increase incidence of certain diseases. It was noted that a recent (Eurobarometer) survey had useful figures about the public’s concerns about the pesticide effects on food and that these could be included.

ACTION: RM and AD to revise paper and to circulate it on the list-serve for final approval. The final version to be sent to the Commission and FSA.

7.     Fish - update

7.1   Common Fisheries Policy

Caroline noted that the paper on the Common Fisheries Policy that had been circulated with the meeting papers was now final.

ACTION: The paper should be circulated and promoted as widely as possible. In particular, it should be taken up with FSA and DEFRA as well as the European Parliament and Commission. Foodaware should support other organisations working on this issue.

7.2   Fish farming/aquaculture

Caroline said that the Commission had published its Communication strategy document on Aquaculture on 19 September. This document mentioned sustainability and safety issues but its main focus was on economic aspects. Most notably, it did not contain concrete proposals for action but left implementation to be dealt with at the national and local levels, including by the private sector. Generally, its wording was very vague, for example, it referred to offshore production but avoided saying anything about the need for legislative controls.

ACTION: Draft comments on the Communication would be circulated on the list-serve for members to give their feedback. This would then be on the agenda for the next meeting. It was an issue to be taken up with FSA, DEFRA and the VMD as well as at the European level.

8.     Health claims – update

The Chair noted that this item was not of immediate urgency and deferred discussion to the next meeting due to lack of time.

9. Any Other Business

Susan Knox mentioned that at the FSA meeting on GM foods in September she had met a representative of Whitbread (fast foods) who had asked for consumer feedback on the issue of GM labelling of fast foods. She asked if members could give her any thoughts on this for her to forward.

Judy Brander noted that Grace Wedekind, although unable to attend the meeting, had submitted some comments: the European Centre of the International Council of Women (ECICW) had recently adopted a policy resolution (which Grace had proposed) on food safety and the role of the new EFSA. This had been sent to all MEPs, the European Commission and National parliaments. It was hoped that all member National Councils of Women would now follow this up with their own governments.

Judy also informed members, on behalf of Sylvia Owen, of a recent resolution passed at the NCW conference calling on the UK Government to support a reduction in ‘food miles’ by providing more support for local farmers’ markets and other outlets for local produce. Ann Davison noted that the importance of local food was mentioned in the Foodaware nutrition paper, along with a commitment to openness to imports.

Ann Davison thanked Lucy Harris and Caroline Naett for the very high standard of their work for Foodaware over the last year. Members endorsed this saying that Foodaware compared very favourably with other similar organisations.

Dates for 2003 meetings

The following dates for Foodaware members’ meetings were agreed:

Thursday 30 January 2003
Thursday 10 April 2003
Thursday 24 July 2003
Thursday 30 October 2003

The meeting closed just after 4 pm.