It all makes sense now.

I think I've worked out why we're getting donkey meat in our lasagne. Could you imagine trying to organise this lot ?.......

The Food Standards Agency (FSA).....

Independent committees and working groups These are the independent committees, working groups and forums that advise the Food Standards Agency and help ensure that the Agency's advice to consumers is always based on the best and most recent evidence. List of committees and working groups Social Science Research Committee (SSRC) Supports our work on: Science and research General Advisory Committee on Science (GACS) Supports our work on: Science and research Advisory Committee on Consumer Engagement Supports our work on: All committees Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) Supports our work on: Science and research Business and industry Better Regulation Advisory Group Supports our work on: Business and industry Stakeholder meeting on animal feed issues Supports our work on: Business and industry Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) Supports our work on: Science and research Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Committee on Toxicity (COT) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Committee on Carcinogenicity (COC) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Committee on Mutagenicity (COM) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice UK-wide Food Hygiene Ratings Steering Group Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) Supports our work on: Science and research All committees Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Defra Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC) Supports our work on: Science and research Policy and advice Consultative Group on Campylobacter and Salmonella in Chickens (CGCSC) Supports our work on: Policy and advice Enforcement Liaison Group Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Advisory Body for the Delivery of Official Controls Supports our work on: Business and industry Food Incidents Task Force Supports our work on: Business and industry Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum Supports our work on: All committees Nutrition Strategy Steering Group Supports our work on: All committees Animal Feed Law Enforcement Liaison Group Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee (SFELC) Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Chemical Hazard Identification and Risk Surveillance Group (CHaIRS) Supports our work on: Policy and advice Audit Advisory Committee Scotland Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation LAEMS Joint Working Group Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Food Standards Sampling Co-ordination Working Group Supports our work on: Enforcement and regulation Consumer advisory panel Supports our work on: All committees Stakeholder Group on Current and Future Meat Controls Supports our work on: Business and industry More in this section Enforcement committees A number of liaison groups and forums work with and advise the Agency on enforcement issues. Food industries committees Committees, forums and working groups that advise the Agency. Nutrition committees This section includes information about the committees, forums and working groups that advise the Agency on nutrition issues. Safety and hygiene committees Committees, forums and working groups that advise the Agency on safety and hygiene issues. Scientific committees The work of the independent committees and working groups that advise the Food Standards Agency helps ensure that the Agency's advice to consumers is always based on the best and most recent scientific evidence. 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But it gets worse. Since 2002 food safety has been an EU competence. So we now have the European Food safety Authority whose job is to set all the rules and regulations for monitoring the meat from slaughter to supermarket. This of course relies on honesty and proper paperwork etc. So that will never work.They recently had a meeting about animal welfare and we were invited to attend along with 100 other 'stakeholders' (sic)

From the meeting..

Nearly 100 participants from EU institutions, Member States, industry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) met with scientific experts to discuss the identification of indicators and procedures to monitor animal welfare at slaughterhouses. At the meeting on 30 January, EFSA presented its work in this field and facilitated the exchange of information and experience among scientists and stakeholders. EFSA’s Panel on Animal Health and Welfare Panel (AHAW) will consider information gathered at the meeting in preparing four scientific opinions to be published by end of 2013. Yes, what's the rush. it's not as if there's anything wrong with the present procedures.

UK Ministers are powerless to introduce any new food safety measures and will just have to go along with the latest consensus from Brussels. Just the same as with every other piece of legislation or law in the UK.

But expect a lot of nonsense to be spoken in the next few weeks about what the UK is going to do about food safety in the UK. Throwing a smokescreen around the fact that food safety is an EU competence and we'll do what we're told..