The Food Standards Agency's hygiene campaign has been slammed by the Fresh Produce Consortium as flawed and confusing.
The press and radio campaign launched in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Tuesday,
targeting health risks associated with vegetables.
The consortium has already written to FSA chief executive Tim Smith expressing its fears. Chief executive Nigel Jenney said in the letter that he is “deeply concerned” regarding the initiative that follows the UK E. coli outbreaks earlier this year.
Jenney said: “Food poisoning outbreaks linked with the contamination of fresh produce are extremely rare in the UK. A generic campaign would have better reflected the actual minimal level of risk arising from fresh produce. Instead we see a single-minded focus on raw vegetables as the target for potential consumer concern, based on flawed
statistical analysis carried out by the Health Protection Agency, which implicated loose potatoes and leeks in the UK outbreak of E. coli 0157.”
The NFU said it was “confused” by the FSA’s approach and said “the actions of the Cabinet Office would make it appear that government is now trying to devolve this responsibility to the food supply chain”.
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