WIREDGOV

The FSA is inviting researchers to tender for two projects – one to develop a tool to identify good and bad aspects of the culture towards food safety in businesses, and the other to evaluate the risk of buying food through the Internet.

Recent outbreaks of food poisoning have drawn attention to the fact that problems with food hygiene may be partly due to a business’s attitude and culture towards food safety. The Agency is commissioning a review of existing safety culture diagnostic tools used in businesses. This will result in the development of a tool that can identify features, both positive and negative, associated with safety cultures in food businesses.

The second project the FSA is a desk-based review to examine Internet food sales throughout the UK. The research should consider risks from microbiological, chemical or physical contaminants, inadequate labelling, and whether foods are non-approved or banned in the EU.

To find out more about the research calls, you will need to register as a supplier on the FSA’s electronic tendering system, ePPS, via the link below. Applications for the project considering the risks of Internet-bought food should be submitted by 8 December 2011, and the food safety culture review by 15 December 2011.