Food Standards Agency
Sunday 5 July 2009
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Listen to this siteDetails of the Agency-funded TSE research programme.
Because of the possible risk to human health of eating BSE-infected meat, controls are in place on meat sold for human consumption in the UK.
The Food Standards Agency has primary responsibility for the protection of public health from TSE hazards arising from meat produced for human consumption and the output from the proposed research programme aims to:
Food safety is a major UK Government objective, which includes the safety of meat with regard to TSEs. The Food Standards Agency working with stakeholders, the European Commission, other Government departments and also taking account of advice provided by the independent Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC), aims to ensure meat safety and consumer protection through the application of risk based, proportionate legislation, strict enforcement of controls, funding of research and publication of information.
The Food Standards Agency have undertaken a review of the BSE controls and in doing so have identified key gaps in knowledge where further research is needed to meet their policy objectives. This research programme aims to implement the review of controls and objectives, and other more recently identified research recommendations which fall into the following areas.
Tests and screening
Confirming the basis for the current food safety controls
Enabling the current food safety controls to be enforced
SEAC recommendations
Currently the area of BSE is still surrounded by uncertainty and there are large information gaps as highlighted by the risk analysis projects currently being undertaken. The research programme aims to provide information to improve the knowledge base in the key gaps.
The Agency is a member of the UK, TSE R&D Joint Funders Co-ordination Group and while other members of the group may undertake studies in some of the areas described above, they address different objectives. The work described above, together with the research priorities of other funders, allows the Agency to maximise its output and value for money by either collaborating or dovetailing the research with existing programmes of work put in place by the other funders. The EU also funds a programme of TSE research and the Agency seeks to collaborate with European partners where possible.
The research requirements have been identified from:
At the conclusion of the programme it is the aim that the Agency can implement TSE controls that will be based on sound scientific evidence with less uncertainty, be enforceable and provide all consumer groups protection from high risk situations and information to enable choice for low risk and scientifically unproven situations. The information will benefit consumers and industry throughout Europe and globally by enabling controls to be effectively targeted.
Name
: Dr Stephen Dixon
Tel
: 020 7276 8342
Email
:
stephen.dixon@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
A mid-term review of the TSE research programme M03 was held on 16-18 June 2004 at Burleigh Court, Loughborough University. June 2004 was chosen as an appropriate time to evaluate the progress of the research programme since the current ROAME A, the document detailing the rationale and scientific objectives of the programme, started in 2002 and is due to end in 2007.
Details of the Agency-funded projects under the Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathies, including BSE, research programme (M03).
The Agency Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) Division is organising its five-year review of the TSE Research Programme. An open meeting is to be held on 9 July 2007, to give scientists and members of the public an opportunity to comment on the 2002-2007 research programme and discuss the future direction of TSE research at the FSA.
The FSA held a seminar on Thursday 22 November 2001 to discuss the ongoing programme of research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) in relation to its policy objectives and to take a forward look and identify any gaps in the research programme.
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