Conclusions

The Chair summed up some of the key questions for further exploration within FSA:

Food Waste and Best Before/Use By dates: How do we help companies to get the dates right, and consumers to observes the dates in the right way?

Food Sharing Apps: How to incorporate FSA messages into those apps?

Re-use of containers:  How do we ensure messaging on the part of retailers on suitable containers to use, and the importance of cleaning and keeping well maintained, especially if handled mostly by consumers? 

Novel/recycling packaging materials: How do we plug the gaps in coverage of safety regulations, and ensure that the system is ready for a proliferation and increase in volume of novel and recycled materials?

Novel proteins: How do we ensure that we understand enough about the production standards for these foods, and their role in overall diet and nutrition? We will need to seek partners for this kind of enquiry, including OHID. We might also need an overarching framework of oversight with FSA, as so many parts of the organisation are involved, and it will be important not to duplicate effort or leave gaps. 

Cross-cutting theme: In all these areas we are expecting businesses to take a lot of responsibility, but it is not clear that they have sufficient guidance or FSA has sufficient contact with them to understand how well they are responding. It would be helpful to have channels to understand businesses’ expectation, and discuss FSA’s expectations of the businesses. Partners such as WRAP, through voluntary agreements such as the Courtauld Commitment, may be able to help establish such channels.