...and a partridge in a pear tree
Posted by Andrew Wadge on 23 December 2009 in General interest
Christmas is always a good time to reflect on another year passing, so here are some of my thoughts:
Most amusing – Ben Goldacre’s description of the Daily Mail’s Sisyphian project of categorising the whole of the inanimate world into those things that cause cancer and those that protect you from cancer! As Camus might have said, this one will roll and roll...
Most sensible advice – ‘Solely the dose determines that a thing is not a poison’. Paracelsus, or to give him his full name, Auroleus Phillipus Theostratus Bombastus von Hohe, is still the Godfather of toxicology after all these years!
Best news – publication of the Science Review of the FSA, in which the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, described our approach to science as ‘impressive’.
Most predictable – the response to the publication of a report that concluded that there are no important differences in nutrition content between organic and conventionally produced food. Predictably, we were criticised for our approach to science – see above!
Most disappointing – the lack of progress in reducing campylobacter in chicken. Our survey published this year found that 65% of fresh chicken on sale in this country contains campylobacter, which is a major source of food poisoning.
Biggest challenge – (apart from Sheffield Wednesday avoiding the drop....sorry Tim!) is making real reductions in campylobacter in chicken – this is a key priority for us in our new strategic plan as we need to prevent so many people getting ill unnecessarily.
Most encouraging – your continued response to this blog.
Biggest hope for 2010 – (apart from Tottenham Hotspur going from strength to strength) is that we can encourage people to drop the dogma and engage in open debate informed by evidence.
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the highs and lows of 2009 and what challenges might be facing us in 2010.
I hope you all enjoy a period of feasting and merriment, unbounded (at least temporarily) by the usual strictures from my nutritional colleagues!
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BA Festival of Science
The incidence of camplyobacter in chicken is a concern, especially as that predicates a level of (lack) of health in the birds that at which we can assume many other disease vectors and parasites are also present. Commercial farming biological controls based on chemical dosing of animals and the environment are unsustainable and ineffective. It is time to change to a system of farming that puts the health of the birds and animals first and does not compromise their immune systems with toxic chemistry. Quality feed is essential for healthy growth, and yet is mostly unobtainable because of the toxic depleted soils we have as a legacy of the chemical based farming. This state of affairs is deplorable and avoidable, and the situation must be turned around in order to produce the wholesome nutritious food we all need.
Posted by Richard Kenchington on December 27, 2009 at 10:45 PM GMT #
Happy New Year, Andrew et al. The very best of wishes for twenty-ten.
Highs of 2009?. The December open board meeting available online and the revelation that FSA Chief Scientist has met with his equivalent at NICE.
Low? Observing Terry being cross examined over his colon and facing the prospects that it might have to go. I was anxious. Colostomy is serious. How is he?
Mildly humorous was the moment a member of the public present in the Q&A raised a question about patterned eating. The board looked a little nonplussed and lost for an answer. Could, "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper" have been the basis of a satisfactory response?
The challenges of 2010 are undoubtedly to regain control over the budget deficit.
I am persuaded that the inflammation hypothesis offers promise over comprehension for causality of several of the diseases of out time and included in the hypothesis is functional appreciation of the dietary agonists of inflammation. I'm confident that meetings with NICE will lead to a breakthrough, the long term benefits of which will be a reduction in the cost to the NHS of managing chronic illness thus contributing to budget savings.
The lesson from the passing decade is that the corporate agenda, evolving and intensifying as it does, precipitates risk. Regulatory failure exposes the population to said risk as exemplified by the banking crisis and the fix, being the bailouts, are counter-democratic.
The corporate agenda introduces risk into dietary habits and places a strain upon the food provision chain. The strain is something that illustrates risk. My hope for the decade is that lessons can be learned and we do not suffer sub-optimal regulatory intervention in the domain under the auspice of the FSA. An approach akin to 'tough love' must be adopted.
The challenge for the decade is to assure food sustainability and security. Felicity Lawrence, writing for the Guardian, covered the topicality of this recently commenting upon what she sees as evidence of joined-up thinking from NGOs.
Posted by Chris on January 06, 2010 at 06:03 PM GMT #