Halal Food Authority :: DNA in Chicken

Dated: 7th April 2008

Mr. Olufunso Taiwo
Government Office for Science
Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills (DIUS)
Bay 264 Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria St, London
SW1E 6SW

Review of Science in the Food Standards Agency

Dear Mr. Taiwo,

Thank you for sending us the consultation on the above topic and, please find Halal Food Authority rejoinder. Do please feel free to make it public, should you deem it to be necessary in the public interest.

Halal Food Authority has always been appreciative of the work, research and investigating and enforcement of rules and regulations (either local or initiated by EU) carried out by the Food Standard Agency in the light of animal and human welfare axioms. Major work that is conducted by FSA is based on science, and scientific methodology, say, food and meat hygiene, food or meat bourne diseases, aspects of research and development of food manufacturing methods and a whole host of facets like animal feed, bird flu, BSE, chicken DNA, fish related strategies together with establishing definitions such as Chocolate and Basmati rice and the like.

There are scores of examples where the scientific activities have been beneficial to the public at large. Public has come to recognise that without sheer transparency and determination of scientific evaluation of modern day meat and food industry, liaison between the procurers of meat, foodstuffs and edibles with the consumers would not only be impossible, it would somehow not be complete. It can be said in unmitigated way that FSA is a scientific bumper between processors and the end users of foodstuffs.

Halal Food Authority is aware and cognisant that FSA had so far done a great deal in carrying Islamic halal dictum to EU regulatory departments and fetched backed rules & legislation that are scientifically implemented to enhance operation of the halal industry. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that there is no other cognate department or body that could match scientific input of the FSA in relation to foods and consumer protection.

It is imperative to note that with the advancement of science there would still be the question of maintaining and improving the performance of FSA in scientific terms; and retaining the best research scientists to enhance the anticipated work and completing the existing projects. And we are positive that Food Standard Agency would keep the aplomb of best practice in the interest of stakeholders and consumers at large by disseminating the results of research and scientific data to advise, inform, protect and above all implement and enforce what is scientifically best for the food industry and the public – the consumers.

It is interesting to iterate that from the point of view of halal, ethically what is proscribed for humans in foods and also in animal feed is actually being proven by the scientific researches now to be precise and accurate. Halal Food Authority is all for science and scientific developments in foods.

Kind regards,

Masood Khawaja
President