What led you to the helm of a government agency?
Previously I was CEO of Arla Foods, which had a turnover of £1.4 billion. There aren’t many jobs or companies bigger in that sector, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything smaller in a similar area. The role here at the FSA really appealed to me because what the FSA does may look straightforward but in fact it has a depth, reach and impact on consumers that can be very profound.
How has your background helped you in your role and in shaping the FSA’s strategy?
It’s a great advantage. There isn’t a food manufacturer in the country that doesn’t make a living by understanding exactly what’s going on in the mind of consumers. It’s an instinct born out of passion and experience. It enables me to keep challenging what we do at the FSA. It’s about having consumer insight.
What are the differences, if any, between the FSA and the private sector’s approach to consumers?
The principle to put consumers first is the same in both worlds. The difference is we take fewer risks. Before expressing any opinion, we make sure it’s based on science and evidence. We won’t move unless we’re sure, and if we’re not, we’ll say so. I don’t think I’ve worked in a company that’s quite as open as the FSA. If we were to make a daft decision, then the process we followed is there for all to see, and that’s a sobering thought when it comes to risk taking.
What voluntary good practice can caterers adopt?
Two measures can be adopted quite quickly. First, look at your food safety performance and adhere to the guidelines. Everything we do on food safety relies on an audited set of guidelines, principles and processes. I’m worried that there may be catering businesses out there not doing what’s needed. Don’t put your customers at risk.
Second, if consumers say they want to know the nutritional content of their food, start working on providing the information. Chefs say they like telling customers about food provenance; that’s
only a short step away from nutritional content. If chefs and managers can break down the components of a dish when costing a product, then by using readily available software, they can also calculate nutritional information.
How is the FSA engaging with small or independent hospitality companies?
It is difficult to get an overall figure for the number of such businesses; figures of a quarter of a million have been quoted, but the simple fact is that they make up a significant part of the industry. It’s a huge task but we do reach them on food safety issues by producing information packs like Safe Food, Better Business and having an audit process tailored to very small outlets.
With regards to nutritional labelling, we want the practice to be consumer driven; there’s no plan to have ‘nutrition police’ checking on businesses, despite the rumours! In time, I’m sure the big brands will use a recognised system in all their stores; we want to help local businesses provide the same information simply. Customers today are much more clued up about nutrition, and it’s critical for the FSA to help provide information that businesses need to give their customers what they want.
What else is in it for small businesses?
There are commercial benefits. Customers are getting better at asking for this information. My own belief is that if consumers have a choice between an outlet that provides nutritional details and one that doesn’t, they are more likely to choose the one that gives them the information they want. Caterers should start looking at the make up of their dishes to see if they can change the formulation or offer a low fat alternative to give themselves a competitive advantage.
If you watch people shopping in a supermarket, you’ll notice far more people these days picking up products and reading labels. A rapidly growing number of consumers want this information in order to make choices. Therefore, given the huge expansion in eating out of home, it’s an obvious business opportunity to win over new and existing customers by providing them with some simple dietary information about the products you are selling. We’ve got to keep track of all this to make sure we’re getting the right messages out to people.
So how can businesses get involved with the FSA?
There is the web, but we’re also planning a single point of contact for people to ring up and say ‘I don’t understand this, can you point me in the right direction?’ We’ve got regional teams to ensure people don’t get misleading or wrong information. We’re about providing consumers and people
connected to the whole supply chain with information to allow them to do the right thing.
What other consumer trends relating to foodservice will affect the FSA’s work?
The diversity in eating habits and dining practices is broadening and deepening the whole time. And it’s constantly changing too. I never thought we’d see breakfast dining become a feature in the UK.
People eat together less often and are driven by convenience. They want things easier and faster. I was surprised to learn that so many consumers don’t consider quick service restaurants and sandwich shops as eating out – it’s just part of everyday life.
Is there truth to the suggestion that retail is more important to the FSA than foodservice?
No, but I can see how it came about. The UK has many high profile retailers, and much of the FSA’s emphasis so far on labelling or better consumer information could appear to be concentrated on what’s bought at supermarkets.
Eating out is now a big part of the consumer’s repertoire, so foodservice is really very important.
The Agency now has a dedicated team looking at healthier catering, trying to persuade people to do the right thing. It’s all about collaboration though, and we’ve developed excellent working relationships with many companies in foodservice who are helping us shape solutions in practical ways.
Any other myths?
Whenever we talk about salt or saturated fat or how we communicate with consumers, invariably one part of the industry assumes we’re doing their side down. They miss the fact that often we’re simply referring back to our famous ‘eat well’ plate and its broad nutritional groups. The real myth is that we demonise food and we don’t. We don’t promote giving up any food groups. All we want is to effect small changes in behaviour leading to significant health benefits.
How do you manage to walk the tightrope between consumer expectations, the needs of business, and the government’s agenda?
The only place to be is where the customer comes first. One of the reasons we continue to prosper is consumers trust us as an independent source of information. If it’s got the FSA brand on it, people typically say it’s something they can sign up to. And we take a long-view on issues like nutrition, which will have a great impact on the nation’s future health. We just want people to be able to eat safer food that’s good for them.
