Letter: Food agency

Sir: The possibility that the Food Standards Agency could be prevented from looking at issues of nutrition is a worrying development ("Food lobby jeopardises drive for healthy eating", 24 November).

To rational and concerned citizens, the expected role of our much-needed food watchdog must be to look at the related questions of quality, purity and nutrition and to make representations on our behalf to government and manufacturers alike on these issues.

Just where would the (artificial) line between the issues be drawn? By way of example, many asthma sufferers appear to be allergic to bread made from North American wheat, which is used predominantly in our bread, but not to many types of bread made with European flour. Is this a question of purity, because of the anti-fungicide added to North American wheat before shipping; is the allergy caused by something which our own bakers add, or by different types of grain; or should we look at the volume of bread in our national diet? Questions of food quality and nutrition inevitably overlap - and why should they not be looked at together?

The politicians and their civil servants at the ministries of Health and Agriculture will still have responsibility for blocking or implementing any legislative changes recommended by the FSA - but at least give the new agency a sporting chance to carry out the citizens' watchdog role which our ministerial representatives (of whichever political hue) have sadly failed to deliver.

MAYA KRAUS

Director

Guildford Natural Health Centre

Guildford, Surrey