FSA Newsletter

The third issue of Bite, the quarterly magazine produced by the Food Standards Agency to tackle challenging food safety-related topics, is available online and should provide mouth-watering reading for anyone with an interest in meat safety.

A scene-setting article in this meat-themed issue outlines why meat has achieved such an iconic status in our culture and why most people are so passionate about having meat as part of their diet.

The role of the Agency’s Operations Group is highlighted in a feature that examines the work of official veterinarians and meat inspectors and their endeavours to ensure that the meat we consume in the UK is as safe as possible. An interview with Andrew Rhodes, the Agency’s new Director of Operations, examines what qualities he brings to the post.

The controversial topic of cruelty to animals is addressed fully, and the cost of official meat controls is discussed in an exchange between an industry spokesperson and a representative of the Agency.

And in a special Bite roundtable, representatives from the Vegetarian Society, the Meat Trades Journal, the National Farmers’ Union and the WWF attempt to put everything into perspective in a debate on whether meat production in the UK can be sustainable

A copy of the newsletter can be downloaded here .