The new director general of the Food and Drink Federation is raising the profile of the organisation even before she takes up her post on January 15. Sylvia Jay has thrown herself into a round of meetings with opinion formers in the industry, and this week she visited William Reed Publishing, home of The Grocer. She quickly scotched any idea her new post would be in any way secondary to her role as wife to the British ambassador to Paris, Sir Michael Jay. She said: "I will be working full-time, five days a week based in London." Although she describes herself as an amateur, Jay has already proved herself in one of the toughest markets, promoting British food to the French. The British Embassy in Paris is the only place in France where it is legal to consume British beef, and Jay said she had served it at many functions. Jay also showed some of the diplomatic skills required for the FDF's top post. Asked whether French beef should be banned in the wake of its BSE problems, and also about GM foods, she said she would be guided by the Food Standards Agency on these issues. Food safety will be top of her agenda in her new role. She said: "Food safety is an issue that is not going away. We must ensure the needs of the consumer are met in this field in addition to value and choice. "I intend to be very proactive on food safety. It is an issue members are very concerned about." FDF communications director Martin Paterson said: "The FDF will be engaging in dialogue with a range of partners such as consumer groups and regulators, and the FSA will be a major partner." Paterson said retailers were playing an important role in reassuring the public about food safety. He said: "They realise it is not a competitive situation and are working as an industry to reassure the public. "Their contribution is welcome because it is a massive job." {{NEWS }}