Food Standards Agency
Thursday 28 August 2008
Safer food better business banner
AZ-Directory
What's NewRSS
What is RSS?The Food Standards Agency, together with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), has developed a Code of Practice to ensure that the results of the research it commissions will stand up to rigorous scrutiny.
The Agency bases its policies and advice on the best scientific evidence available and public confidence in the evidence is essential. The Code of Practice will help to ensure that research commissioned by the Agency is of a high and reliable quality.
For a number of years, the Agency and other research funders have implemented procedures for assessing the scientific quality of research proposals. However, some recent incidents have shown that this research is not always undertaken in a rigorous, controlled manner, which naturally creates doubts on the validity and reliability of the findings. It is important that the Agency has complete confidence in the research it commissions and, if necessary, is able to go back to the contractors at a later date to verify the results.
The Code of Practice will ensure that research contractors have correct procedures in place to track all records of their research. Indeed, a key recommendation in the 2001 Review of the Food Standards Agency's Research Portfolio and Research Management Systems (see below), was that, as a general rule, by 2006 we should be contracting research only at laboratories that had implemented QA schemes acceptable to the Agency.
Back to topFrom June 2004 we expect a declaration of compliance with the Code. Agency application forms and guidance issued with research calls have been amended to take account of this. This is intended as a step to a longer term position where most Agency funded contractors assure the quality of their research process using a formal system that is audited by independent third parties against a relevant international standard.
Back to topIn late 2003, Defra commissioned the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to undertake baseline assessments of a selection of its contractors. The assessments sought to identify how close contractors were to full compliance with the JCoPR and the implementation problems that they might be facing. Defra has now analysed UKAS's assessments and produced a summary report (see document (4) below), which offers guidance on common opportunities for improvement.
Whilst the assessments were tailored towards Defra's needs, the Food Standards Agency has maintained an active interest throughout the process. We hope that many of the issues identified in the report should be just as relevant to Agency research contractors. As such we recommend that anyone considering bidding for Agency research contracts and existing contractors working towards full compliance read this document.
Back to topThe Joint Code of Practice, the accompanying announcement letter (May 2003) and a follow-up letter (February 2004) can be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat Files. (see documents (1) (2) and (3) below.)
Back to top
Mr Alisdair Wotherspoon
Chief Scientist Team
Room 202c, Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH
email:
alisdair.wotherspoon@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
tel: 020 7276 8786
This notice is to all current/potential future contractors for FSA/Defra research projects. It outlines FSA and Defra's next steps in implementing the Joint Code of Practice for Research (JCoPR). The FSA and Defra have jointly initiated an audit programme to determine whether research projects, funded after 1 June 2004 are being carried out in compliance with the JCoPR.
To read the notice
The notice can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat File (see document (5) below).
Back to topThis invitation is to all quality assurance managers (or staff with responsibility for quality assurance) of current contractors for FSA / Defra research projects. It outlines the FSA and Defra's next steps in disseminating the outputs of the joint audit programme. The programme was carried out from 2006 to 2008 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to determine whether research projects, funded after after 1 June 2004, are being carried out in compliance with the provisions of the JCoPR. As the audit series draws to a close, we are considering holding an Autumn workshop with QA managers from across our research contractor base, to disseminate the generic outputs of the audits.
Related link:
SEE DOCUMENT (6) LISTED BELOW, DEADLINE FOR RESPONSE CLOSE OF PLAY FRIDAY 8TH AUGUST 2008
Back to top
Mr Asif Chowdhury
Chief Scientist Team
Head of Research Management Branch
Aviation House (Room 211c)
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH
email:
asif.chowdhury@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
tel: 0207 276 8994
Download pdf
(pdf 22KB) (2) Quality Assurance in Research Joint CoP - follow up letter (Feb 2004) Download the follow-up letter - Joint Code of Practice - update and actionsDownload pdf
(pdf 89KB) (3) Quality Assurance in Research Joint CoP - Letter (May 2003) Download the letter accompanying the Quality Assurance in Research Joint Code of PracticeDownload pdf
(pdf 33KB) (4) Quality Assurance in Research Joint CoP - baseline assessments Download the guidance arising from the baseline assessments carried out by UKASDownload pdf
(pdf 33KB) (5) Quality Assurance in Research Joint COP - Notice re Auditing against the Code in 2006/07 (March 2006) Download the noticeDownload pdf
(pdf 28KB) (6) Invite to joint FSA & Defra JCoPR WorkshopDownload pdf
(pdf 79KB)Download pdf
(pdf 185KB) (External) Get Adobe Acrobat reader You may need the free Acrobat Reader to view a pdfFind out what our other sites have to offer