Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, responding to the Government’s delayed publication of the Elliott review into the integrity and assurance of food supply networks, following the horsemeat scandal last year, said:

“Consumers were rightly outraged by the horsemeat scandal, yet the Government has dragged its heels and made absolutely no progress in the 18 months since it happened.

“David Cameron approved changes to the structures of government that weakened consumer protection, culminating in the horsemeat scandal. The confusion this caused is highlighted in today’s report yet the Government have totally failed to admit they got this wrong and have still not reversed the misguided decision to fragment the Food Standards Agency.

“The food industry is the largest single manufacturing sector in the UK, millions of jobs depend on consumer confidence. The Government must now show leadership and establish an effective food crime unit as recommended in the report that can protect the integrity of the food we eat as soon as possible.”