Huw Irranca-Davies MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Rural Economy, Food and Farming, responding to publication of the interim report of the Elliott Review into the integrity and assurance of food supply networks, said:

“David Cameron approved changes to the structures of government that weakened consumer protection, culminating in the horsemeat scandal. He should now admit he got this wrong and reverse the misguided decision to fragment the Food Standards Agency which split responsibility for food safety and authenticity.

“The interim report of the Elliot Review rightly says that consumers should be put first, yet under this government that has clearly not been the case. Ministers must now learn the lessons from this scandal and act on all the recommendations in this report including a much stronger focus on criminality in the food chain, greater coordination across the European Union and statutory guidance for providing food to vulnerable people.”