Sir, - I strongly support Dr Tim Higgins's excellent letter (November 19th), deploring the omission of a practising food scientist from the new Food Safety Board and would like to assure him that it certainly has not gone unnoticed. I have expressed my concern in writing to the chairman of the board, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Agriculture and Food. I have not yet received a reply.
This is a very serious omission on two counts. First, the board cannot realise its objectives without a major input from food science and technology. Second and more important, it demonstrates that the government is sadly lacking in its understanding of the real food safety issues, never mind how to solve them. - yours, etc.,
Past President IUFOST,
(International Union of Food
Science and Technology),
13 Taney Road,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14.