The Food Standards Agency’s approach to managing the interests of its external advisers - Which? response

Which? welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Food Standards Agency (FSA)consultation on its approach and updated guidance on managing interests and any conflicts of interest for the FSA’s external scientific advisers. 

It is essential that consumers can have confidence that FSA advice is based on robust and independent scientific advice that is developed transparently. This issue goes to the heart of why the FSA was set up in the aftermath of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)crisis as an arms’ length agency and with a clear remit to protect public health and other consumer interests in relation to food. 

In the coming years, as the UK leaves the EU, the FSA is likely to take on greater responsibility for risk assessments and approval of regulated food products, ingredients and contact materials. Consumers need to have reassurance that the FSA is drawing on a broad range of multi-disciplinary scientific advice and that those advisers are also motivated by the importance of public health and consumer protection, rather than other interests. A system of scientific committees will remain an important way in which to ensure that the FSA is receiving advice from a range of experts and disciplines, particularly as scientific advice will often require collective expert judgement to be reached.

It is essential that the FSA has robust guidance in place that enables it to make use of a broad range of external expertise, while also ensuring that it effectively identifies and manages any conflicts of interest that could bias or undermine this advice. Full transparency of interests, including a public register, is also essential. This is particularly important when the nature of research funding is becoming more complex, with a strong emphasis on joint funding and collaborations with food companies and where experts in some specialist fields may be in demand to provide consultancy to a broad range of interests. The FSA needs to be aware of these issues, have robust procedures in place to ensure all potential interests are declared and that it can identify and manage any conflicts, as well as perceived conflicts, that could undermine the credibility of its advice and decision-making.