The UK government made public this month a third-party final report reviewing the country’s food-supply networks and their response to food adulteration in light of the 2013 EU horse-meat incident, when beef products were found to contain horse meat and other products from animals besides cow (see IBO 2/15/13). The government also published a response to the report, announcing the implementation of many of the recommendations.

The horse-meat substitution was initially discovered by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland but affected retailers and products throughout Europe. The UK’s largest manufacturing segment is food manufacturing, according to the report. In England, food safety is the responsibility of several government agencies, according to an October 2013 report by the National Audit Office. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food-labeling policy as it relates to food safety and investigation of food incidents. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for policies related to food authenticity, composition and labeling, excluding food safety and nutrition. The responsibility for food-safety and -authenticity enforcement lies with local authorities. Public Health England labs conduct food-hygiene testing, and public-analyst labs, either public or private, conduct testing for food standards and some food-safety issues.

The “Elliott Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks—Final Report,” prepared by Chris Elliott, PhD, professor of Food Safety and director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast, was submitted to the UK government in July. The report details recommendations for the government that together form “the basis of a national food-crime–prevention framework.” As defined by the report, food crime is organized criminal activity designed to deceive consumers.

One of the report’s set of recommendations specifically addresses laboratory services for food-authenticity testing, focusing on three areas: standards of analysis, coordination of sampling programs and results, and lab structure. The report recommends access to “resilient, sustainable laboratory services that use standardized, validated approaches.” Organizations cited as having a role in developing and updating such approaches are the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Defra’s Food Authenticity Steering Group, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Analytical Methods Committee and the academic community.

To support the development and update of testing methods, the report emphasizes the importance of a lab network for food-authenticity testing and proposes the formation of a virtual network of UK centers of excellence. Coordinated by the Food Authenticity Steering Group, the centers would draw upon current lab-testing services used by local governments and form a “framework for standardizing authenticity testing.” The network would support a wide range of testing techniques.

As part of addressing lab services, the report also highlights the need for coordinated sampling and testing. Suggestions include the use of risk-based intelligence to conduct targeted testing, more testing by government and industry, and greater information sharing. The report also calls upon Defra’s Food Authenticity Program and the FSA to provide guidance for food-surveillance programs and greater transparency of government-testing activities.

Addressing lab structure, the report notes the weakening of the public sector’s capacity for food-authenticity testing and suggests a merger of UK public-sector capabilities for food testing, along with the participation of the private sector to increase capabilities. Such an arrangement would promote efficiency and support the development of expertise, among other benefits. Six public-analyst labs and government authorities are currently participating in a project to integrate lab services. “A shared, merged public-sector laboratory service is the only option to secure the public-sector laboratory system,” states the report.

In its response to the report, Defra stated that it has asked its Analytical Methods Working Group to pinpoint actions to help standardize testing methodologies. It also announced it is exploring the creation of centers of excellence in food authenticity.

The report’s other recommendations address several aspects of the food supply chain. The report recommends prioritizing customers’ needs, including the prevention of food contamination, adulteration and false claims, and undertaking an annual targeted-testing program. Recommending zero tolerance, the report emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach by the food industry to food-crime reporting and guidance. For intelligence gathering, the report supports shared resources. The report also recommends steps to improve the implementation and procedures of audits. To enhance government support, recommendations include support of the FSA in coordinating and implementing food-authenticity measures. Recommendations concerning leadership include the creation by the FSA of a Food Crime Unit. The report supports crisis management by emphasizing the need for an effective strategy to address a food-crime incident.

In its response to the report, the UK announced it will create a Food Crimes Unit by year end, and Defra will form a Group on Food Integrity and Food Crime to improve coordination and information sharing.