Food fraud expert Professor Chris Elliott urged retailers, manufacturers and regulators to improve cross-industry collaboration and “knowledge transfer” as he helped launch a new organisation dedicated to tackling food authenticity problems this week.
Elliott – commissioned by Defra to write a review of the UK’s food system in the wake of Horsegate – has been appointed advisory board chairman to the Institute of Food Safety Integrity and Protection (IFSIP), a new body set up and run by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
IFSIP’s core aim was to improve communication and cross-industry collaboration on food integrity, Elliott said.
“Historically, there has been a huge emphasis on food safety, but not on the integrity of our food supply systems,” he said, adding that a major challenge was getting individuals – often in disparate jobs and locations – to talk to each other.
“There has never been a greater need, or a better opportunity to develop partnerships between the industry, regulators, and governments and for them to come together and work even harder to ensure the food supply system is safe, wholesome and authentic.”
Elliott’s interim post-Horsegate report – published in December – highlighted a lack of communication and knowledge sharing between industry and regulators as a key risk to the UK food system.
“IFSIP offers a unique opportunity to bring people together and represent the growing community of people who work in food safety throughout the supply chain,” he said this week.
He added that the institute would offer members knowledge, advice on good practice, professional training, networking and other educational opportunities, with a strong initial focus on food integrity.
Elliott did not name a date for when his final report on the UK food system would be published, but said he expected it to be published “shortly”.
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