So today I've been mostly annoying the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is one of my hobbies if the truth be known.
I attended an event organised by the Co-op and asked Lord Rooker, the newish chair of the FSA, whether traffic light labelling, the FSA's baby, had had its day.
At this point I feel I should point out that I only asked about traffic lights because Jeff, that's Lord Rooker to you, had mentioned them and joked that it was right and proper that cheese should have a red light. 'The issue becomes about portion size and info,' he added.
But hang on a minute, I thought, isn't portion size exactly what traffic lights don't take into account?
So my question from the floor - in a slightly nervy fashion because up until then the event had all been conducted rather amicably - went something like this: 'I'm wondering whether there is any point in pursuing traffic lights. The Tories have said they will scrap them if they get in. Tesco doesn't use them. Europe doesn't like them and most of the big food companies have decided to go down the guideline daily amounts route.' And I aired my cheese thoughts too.
The answer that came back was basically that he wasn't going to answer because there was an ongoing consultation on this subject. Come on Jeff, there's always an FSA consultation on traffic lights. If you never answered a question because of an ongoing labelling consultation you'd never say owt.
Later on a well-placed source told me he had yet to get to grips with his FSA brief. Miaow!
