Posted by: Dr Adam Cook,
Dr Adam Cook, Head of Science Strategy, Capability and
Research,
Dr Adam Cook, Head of Science Strategy, Capability and
Research, introduces the latest update to our Areas of Research
Interest.
The fundamental mission of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), as
laid out in our strategy, is food you can
trust. In delivering this mission we have developed seven guiding
principles. These include being science and evidence-led, being
transparent and working with others. We talked more about the
strategy and what it means for science in a previous blog. In that
blog, we mentioned that we would be publishing
revised Areas of Research Interest
(ARI) and I am pleased to say that we have now done
this.
The aims of the ARI are to set out the research questions that we
want to answer to ensure a safer food system. These are not the
first set of ARI that the FSA has published, our first were in
2017, but are a refresh and revision of our priorities based on
an evolving food system. This shows the FSA’s continued
commitment to addressing the recommendations of the Government Science
Capability Review (SCR).
The updated FSA strategy expands our mission to support access to
safe, healthy and sustainable food for everyone. Therefore, in
addition to the previous themes addressing food standards and
safety, our revised ARI also consider a new focus on food that is
healthier and more sustainable.
Our four strategic priorities
The issues surrounding the food we all eat are broad and, as
such, so are the research questions we wish to address. Our ARI
are 14 research questions grouped under four strategic
priorities:
Assuring food and feed safety and
standards – this is integral to our role and
considers the risks to the public through the food they consume.
These risks include chemical hazards, foodborne pathogens, food
hypersensitivity, food crime, novel foods and how differences in
food standards across the globe may impact trade and the food
available to UK consumers.
Understanding consumers and our wider
society – by understanding what consumers think,
feel, and do we can better protect them and play our part in
supporting safe, healthy, sustainable diet choices. Our research
areas in this priority relate to how consumers view and
understand the food system, the role behaviour and perception
play in food standards and the impact of food insecurity on food
safety.
Adapting to the food and feed system of the
future – our world is rapidly changing, and we need
to predict risks and opportunities that arise, including those
associated with new technologies, and how we can continue to
adapt to them when developing and implementing food regulations.
Addressing global grand challenges – the
food system does not exist in isolation and we need to understand
the role food plays in these wider challenges. These challenges
include Antimicrobial Resistance, climate change and the move to
more sustainable and healthy living.
Collaborating and protecting the public
These are a broad set of challenges and go far beyond what a
single organisation can deliver, so we intend on using them to
enable and enhance our collaborations, working with others who
are undertaking or funding research on aspects of the food
system. These collaborations will be with other government
departments, the academic community, industry and consumers so
that we can obtain an integrated understanding of the food system
and the impact of interventions.
By increasing our collaborations, we can ensure we continue to
have access to an even more substantial evidence base to inform
our decisions, in the most cost-effective manner. Providing
assurance that not only are we protecting the public, but we are
doing it whilst delivering the best value for money for
taxpayers.
The Research Excellence
Framework (REF) is the UK’s system for assessing the
quality of research in our Higher Education Institutions and
informs the allocation of public research funds across them. The
REF considers the impact of research performed by academics on
public policy. Publishing our ARI enables us to give researchers
access to a government regulator, to ensure that their research
not only benefits the FSA but also helps ensure UK research
spending can have a real-world impact and have a positive effect
on the wider public.
We have a great deal of research underway or already
published related to scientific challenges we face and
will be commissioning research in due course. However, addressing
the challenges that we all face should not be a supplier-customer
relationship. If you are planning or currently undertaking any
research related to our 14 ARI please get in touch with us to
let us know more about it.
