Food safety chief has a sharp appetite for new job

The Republic's food safety regime is regarded as a model of its kind in the rest of the EU, says Ann Westby of the Food Safety Authority.

Dining at an expensive restaurant, you suspect your meal is undercooked. Flinging your napkin to the floor, you stomp to the kitchen and confront the head chef. In Ireland, such a scenario is about as plausible as Michael McDowell declaring happy hour mandatory.

Ms Ann Westby, recently appointed chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) - the state's food safety and hygeine watchdog - wonders why this should be so.

She takes the helm at a time of unprecedented growth for the food sector. Food sales are worth €6 billion annually - one euro in every five spent by Irish households - and food and drink exports are valued at €8 billion. The sector employs around 45,400 (18 per cent of those working in industrial production).

Consumers must be prepared to stand up for their rights to safe, hygienic food - if necessary by demanding to inspect the environment in which their meal has been prepared, argues Ms Westby, a flinty Dublin native who takes the helm at the FSAI after a distinguished career in the food manufacturing sector with Nestlé.

She has stern words too for caterers, insisting too many pay lip service to safety. Those failing to comply with minimum hygiene standards can expect to be prosecuted, warns Ms Westby.

Although outbreaks of food poisoning are declining, consumers remain nervous about eating out, she says. According to a recent survey, 49 per cent of the public is apprehensive about dining away from home - a statistic that reflects badly on our opinion of the catering trade.

Clearly restaurateurs and others in food services must work harder to allay customer misgivings. Doing so is in their own interest, as the consequences of being served a closure notice by health inspectors can be disastrous, says Ms Westby.

With Irish eating habits increasingly indistinguishable from those in the United States - where 52 per cent of meals are now taken outside the home - the onus on the restaurant sector to adopt best practice is more important than ever, she says.

To this end, the FSAI plans a "food service forum", where caterers can compare experiences and explore ways of streamlining and improving hygiene practices.

Those in the food services sector must realise that they literally have the lives of their customers in their hands, she says. With more non-English speakers than ever staffing kitchens, it is important that hygiene requirements are explained in a direct and non-complicated way.

With this in mind, the FSAI will be holding interactive workshops through 2004, a step away from the traditional classroom format.

She has lavish praise for food manufacturers, describing their commitment to food safety as generally first rank. And she has kind words for the retail sector - and in particular the multiples.

So rigorous are the standards of chains such as Tesco that small food producers are forced to comply to much higher standards than they may have previously had to.

Ms Westby succeeds Dr Patrick Wall, who helped shape the identity of the FSAI, established in the wake of the mid-1990s BSE crisis. As she settles into her five-year term, she says a key priority is to establish pools of expertise among the approximately 2,500 inspectors responsible for policing food safety on the ground (most are health board and departmental staff contracted to work on behalf of the FSAI).

She is also determined to introduce a note of private sector urgency to the FSAI. Ms Westby wants to see the agency, which receives an annual government stipend in the region of €8 million, run "like a business". She hopes its core staff of 200 will be less reticent to offer opinions and more ready to take credit for good ideas.

To this end, she has installed a bugle in her office, inviting employees to "blow their own horn" when warranted.

Acknowledging that complying with food safety regulations can be onerous for smaller businesses, Ms Westby is investigating the possibility of larger firms lending their expertise. Doing so would improve the image of Irish food to the benefit of all players, she reasons.

Food safety is not as "sexy" as it was at the height of BSE she admits. Principally this is because standards have improved sharply - recorded cases of salmonella fell nearly 50 per cent in the two years to 2002.

Though welcome, this changed environments brings challenges of its own. Chief among these is ensuring that the Department of Health, which oversees the authority, continues to give the FSAI it full support - more immediate pressures on the health service notwithstanding.

Asked how the Republic's food safety regime compares to those in the rest of the EU Ms Westby says it is regarded as a model of its kind.

Sibling agencies from across the continent - even the heavyweight European Food Safety Authority - regularly seek its advice while its experts are constantly in demand to speak abroad.

Ms Westby is also keen for her staff to regard an FSAI career as a worthwhile aim in itself rather than a staging post to the private sector. A believer in consensus management, she has been meeting employees in small groups, outlining her vision for the future.

It is also important that the authority reap the full benefits of a co-ordinated IT system to allow inspectors avail of its store of knowledge without delay, she says.

This is important because, when a food poisoning outbreak has been identified, a swift response is essential.

But she is at pains to point out that consumers too have a role to play. They owe it to themselves to "keep their eyes open", particularly when preparing food at home.

Though awareness of food safety has improved in recent years, much of the shift in attitudes has been on a sub-conscious level.

Some proof that people are growing more pro-active is evident from the volume of calls to the FSAI's helpline. More than 40 per cent are to alert the authority to poor hygiene practices. Perhaps the day when we feel confident enough to stride into a kitchen and harangue the chef are not so far away after all.