The defining moment in the modern history of food safety was the BSE crisis. Suddenly consumers became aware of the personal health costs which could result from a problem in the human food chain.
The inauguration yesterday of the Food Safety Protection Board (FSPB) to work North and South to prevent food-borne infection is a welcome recognition of these concerns and of the central economic position of the multibillion-pound food industry.
The FSPB has six well-defined functions on which it will spend £6.5 million next year.
Promotion of food safety
Research into food safety
Communication of food alerts
Surveillance of food-borne diseases
Promotion of scientific co-operation between laboratories
Development of cost-effective facilities for specialised laboratory testing.
The authority will develop campaigns to promote food safety. The first was broadcast on TV last night. Consumers will soon become familiar with the "Safefood" and "Biaslan" brands.
The board has identified research projects as a priority. An all-island survey of 10,000 consumers will be undertaken to establish a realistic baseline for the number of people affected by food poisoning. The current figure of 4,668 cases of food-borne disease, North and South, is almost certainly a significant underestimate.
Of these 4,668, more than 2,900 are known to be caused by a bug called Campylobacter. A separate research project will try to link Campylobacter contamination with certain foods.
Another priority is a study of a bug called Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. It is linked to a type of Crohn's Disease in animals and while the weight of scientific evidence is against it causing Crohn's in humans, the FPSB scientists are keen to find which foods the Mycobacterum is in.
In an interesting project on chemical hazards associated with food, the authority will examine poultry meat to assess its levels of a pesticide residue, iodophur, which has been linked with human heart problems. This study is a collaboration between Queen's University Belfast, Teagasc and the poultry industry.
It will be the FSPB's responsibility to disseminate accurate information on national and international food alerts, involving close liaison with the food safety authorities. These agencies remain responsible for policing food safety laws, while the FSBP will have a role in co-ordinating response protocols North and South.
The new authority will be closely linked to the Republic's National Disease Surveillance Centre and the North's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre as well as the agriculture departments. Summing up the historical significance of the new body, the board's interim chief executive, Mr Martin Higgins, said there were "many traditions on the island; one we share is a tradition of good food. We have a public health imperative to keep our food safe."
The Food Safety Promotion Board helpline can be contacted on 1800 404 567 in the Republic and 0800 085 1683 in the North.