Yes Minister...

Cometh the hour, cometh the...cross-party committee... The food industry has long been vocal on the risks associated with leaving the European Union without a clear agreement on the future of food supply . 

Since the start of the pandemic and the huge uplift in supermarket food sales, many manufacturers, suppliers and retailers have also highlighted the risk created by having to identify additional or alternative suppliers at short notice, sometimes without all of the usual checks and balances. 

In short, food security is about ensuring that sufficient food is available and that we avoid shortages, which often affect the most vulnerable disproportionately. However, it is also about having confidence that the food we buy is safe and of the quality we expect as consumers. This is not a binary choice - if we manage food security correctly we can achieve both of these ambitions.

I think all of us involved in protecting food businesses and consumer interests will welcome the committee's recommendation (though their assertion that early 'panic' buying was merely "a reasonable and predictable response to the expectation that more meals would need to be eaten at home", may come as a surprise to anyone who, in mid-March, tried to buy a sandwich and a newspaper at 7am...). Additional focus, resource and risk assessment from HM Government will be a good thing. 

So, to the future first Minister for Food Security, I salute you...and if you would like get in touch I have been compiling a list of things you might find interesting...