Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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FSA and Defra GM reports published

The Food Matters report published in July 2008 by the Cabinet Office included two parallel action points for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Defra on genetically modified (GM) food and animal feed.

The action points were as follows:

  • Defra, working with the FSA, will publish an analysis of the potential impacts on the livestock sector arising from global food trends in GM production and the current operation of the GM approval system in the EU.
  • In parallel, the FSA, working with Defra,will publish an analysis of the extent to which changes in the market are putting a strain on the regulatory system for GM products (including animal feed) and the implications for UK consumers.

The report on the work that the FSA and Defra have undertaken in response to these points can be found at the link below. The analytical reports, which support the work taken forward by Defra, are available on the Defra website via the link below.

A progress report updating all of the Food Matters actions, including the two action points above, was published on 10 August. The progress report, which is called ‘Food Matters: One year on’, can be found at the link below.

What is Food Matters?

The 2008 report, which can be found at the link below, looked at how different elements of the food system can be better integrated and its impact economically, socially and environmentally. The report recognises that central government needs to work with the public, businesses from all parts of the food chain, other stakeholders and other tiers of government to put a new food policy framework in place.

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