NZFSA should have no part in the A1/2 milk review, say Greens

Green MP Sue Kedgley said the New Zealand Food Safety Authority should have no part in directing the review into the science related to the A1/2 milk debate, following remarks by the Acting Chief Executive today.

"Acting Chief Executive Andrew McKenzie said on Morning Report this morning that the purpose of the independent review was to 'see if we could bury this once and for all.'

"This is a shocking admission and demonstrates that the whole process may be little more than a public relations exercise. I think there is a real risk that the terms of reference for the review will be designed to discredit the credibility of claims about the safety of A1 milk and vindicate the Food Safety Authority's stance.

"It also shows that the Authority is still hopelessly biased on the entire issue, and is still not taking an objective and impartial stance. The Authority should have the safety of our milk supply as its utmost concern, and have an open mind as to the review's outcome.

"Mr McKenzie went on to imply that he was drawing up the terms of reference himself, and had a couple of contacts in the UK Food Standards Authority and the European Food Safety Authority that he hoped would undertake the study.

"In my view Mr McKenzie has disqualified himself from having any role in the independent review. In order to maintain public confidence in the independence of this review those involved in selecting the international expert and drawing up the terms of reference should have no vested interest in its outcome. Otherwise the review will lack credibility and will be an expensive waste of time." Ms Kedgley said it was absolutely vital that the review was seen to be genuinely independent, and not a public relations exercise.

"Many New Zealanders are worried and confused about the issue, and would welcome an independent evaluation of all the evidence by a credible international expert. But they need to be able to trust that it is genuinely independent. When the Acting Chief Executive says the review's purpose is to bury the issue once and for all, then clearly questions need to be asked over whether the review will be genuinely independent."

ends

© Scoop Media