Commission tackles consumer confidence with food safety campaigns
With plans for an independent EU Food Safety Authority due to come to fruition next year, the second of two food safety awareness campaigns launched by the European Commission has reached its conclusion. The campaigns, covering 1998 to 1999 and 2000 to 2001, followed a Eurobarometer survey conducted by the Commission in 1997, which found that 68 per cent of consumers were concerned about food safety. The study revealed that consumers were most concerned about genetically modified organisms and the traceability and labelling of foodstuffs. The campaigns concentrated on these areas, as well as disseminating information and raising awareness of issues such as nutritional balance and safety in the storage and preparation of food. The Commission also used the campaign to highlight the role played by national consumer organisations in providing assistance and advice to the public, in order to foster lasting cooperation between consumer organisations, national authorities and professional bodies and launch a public debate on food safety. The Commission hopes to address the issue of public confidence in food safety with the creation of an independent Food Safety Authority (FSA), on target for completion in 2002. The proposal for the new body was launched in 2000 with the backing of the European Parliament. The FSA, independent of the EU and individual governments, would be responsible for ensuring the integrity and impartiality of food safety judgements while leaving regulatory power in the hands of Member States.