The scandal raised questions about the consequences of an ever-lengthening food supply chain and how government develops food policy.
In addition, global pressures such as the impact of climate change, increasing demand for basic food commodities and rising costs of energy and other inputs, require a re-examination of how food is produced. But this can’t be done in isolation from other priorities, such as helping people to eat healthily and reducing rates of obesity and diet-related disease. Food has to be the quality that people expect, respect wider social and cultural aspects of what we eat and be affordable.
This Which? report, published in April 2013, calls for a new approach to how food issues are handled within Government that gives consumer interests much greater priority, based on:
- strong Government leadership and a clear food strategy
- effective consumer engagement on food issues
- a more consumer-focused Department for Environment and Rural Affairs and a stronger Food Standards Agency
- a greater Government focus on clear pricing and long-term affordability
- enabling consumers to make healthy, sustainable and informed choices.
See our full report:
