Should we be scared of science?
Should we be concerned that a report of Public Attitudes to Science, commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, found that almost half of the respondents didn’t think the...
View ArticleSmall pond, same big issues...
It looks like the US faces the same problem as us – their media appear intent on promoting scary headlines and shy away from good news stories that could allay consumer fears. In his blog, Trevor...
View ArticleBack to the future
Climate change, flooding, droughts, energy price rises, a squeeze on the economy could all have consequences on food safety. But how and when?A recent study provides one example: it found that the...
View ArticleA year in the life of the Social Science Research Committee
We really value the expertise of our independent Social Science Research Committee. It helps us when we’re developing our policies and advice to make sure we’re taking account of how people and...
View ArticleWe can beat the bugs
Our recently published study on infectious intestinal disease (IID) unearthed some worrying statistics. The research found that almost 17 million people suffer from episodes of vomiting, diarrhoea, or...
View ArticleSumming up our science
One of the real pleasures of my job is signing off my annual report, and the fifth report is now available. A pleasure because it gives me the chance to demonstrate the commitment of the FSA to science...
View ArticleLook before you book
Dirty premises, grubby hands and weird things turning up in food – these are common complaints that we hear on our helpline. These general concerns are reflected in our latest public attitudes tracker,...
View ArticleOpen says me
The big news in the move towards making publicly-funded research open and free, is the recruitment of Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales. He is tasked with helping the Government deliver its commitment...
View ArticleWe need more Foxes and less foxiness
Many congratulations to Fiona Fox and her dedicated team of scientists at the Science Media Centre (SMC), which held its 10th anniversary at the Science Museum in London last night. Several speakers at...
View ArticleSéralini study 'not supported by data'
I wrote a few weeks ago about research by Séralini et al that raised concerns about the potential toxicity of genetically modified maize NK603 and of a herbicide containing glycophosate. You will find...
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