It is very important that the processes to guarantee research standards follow a set of guidelines, said Professor Michael Lean, professor of human nutrition at the University of Glasgow, who was appointed chair of the ACR on February 28. 'Very important policy decisions are being made by the FSA and it is in the public interest that that these are based on top quality research,' he explained.

Professor Lean joins 11 other newly-appointed members of the independent committee who will advise the FSA Board on its research and survey programmes and develop the agency's work in this area.

Another of the committee's aims will be to ensure the agency is in a position to anticipate scientific issues of importance, including health issues in relation to food safety in its broader sense, Professor Lean said.

Understanding the capacity for research - and what it might conclude - could also assist the FSA in detecting aspects of food safety that haven't previously been thought about, he suggested. 'If you have the technology that can identify or quantify things that might become health issues in the future, then it makes sense to try to map out the ground ahead.' Another area that that may be considered by the ACR is how the agency communicates its messages and information to the public.

The ARC, which meets for the first time on 30 April, will endeavour to conduct its business in the spirit of the FSA's tenets of openness and transparency, Professor Lean added. 'The committee has no agenda other than wanting the UK to become a healthier, better informed, better served country. That being the case, I would welcome entirely an approach that will make the work of the FSA more open,' he said.

The minutes of the meetings will, for example, be made available and when particular topics or concerns are being addressed there may be an opportunity for having workshops with stakeholders, scientists, consumers and others in conjunction with a meeting of the committee, he added.

'Ultimately, policy is defined by the FSA Board,' Professor Lean said. 'This advisory committee will aim to ensure that the right balance is reflected in its research output.'

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