That the food safety issue would return to haunt the Government during the General Election campaign was never in doubt. The only question was when.
Thus publication this week of Professor Hugh Pennington's report into the E.coli outbreak has brought an unwanted extra headache on the hustings for Major, Hogg and all at MAFF.
The document has been aptly described as a tough prescription for tighter food industry controls. Yet, significantly, despite his long list of proposals, the professor makes the point that there is no simple, single approach by which the dangers of the "particularly nasty organism" E.coli bacteria can be eradicated.
However, this week's report has ensured that the food safety issue and more especially certain recommendations set out in the document will be high on the post-election agenda for traders and politicians alike, whoever walks into Downing Street on May 2.
In addition to the potentially expensive task facing some shops to ensure that there is separation in storage, production, sale and display between raw meat and unwrapped cooked meat and products, a Government review of the meat products regulations to clarify which premises are covered, will be high on the agenda.
The Labour and Liberal Democratic manifestos contain firm pledges to start independent food standards agencies, divorced from the mixed loyalties of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, while the Conservatives still insist their food safety council idea is the answer.
Labour's Gavin Strang, who many believe will fill the MAFF hot seat next month, is adamant that what he dismisses as "the Tories' part time agency" will not fulfil the aim of restoring battered consumer confidence in food safety. He has also attacked the Government for running down food safety science work in recent years by making cuts in the veterinary service.
Dr Strang says the case for an independent agency, divorced from MAFF, is unanswerable. A view many will support given the Pennington findings this week.{{NEWS}}
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