Myths and superstition
As a postscript to yesterday's ‘Science or Belief' posting, I attended a lecture by Professor Alan Sokal last night, organised by Sense about Science. Prof Sokal wrote a spoof article 'Transgressing...
View ArticleWhere do you get your evidence?
I often blog about evidence. One of the things that we are planning over the coming months is how to make our evidence more accessible. We already publish all of our research findings in the Agency...
View ArticleWise about science
A key part of the scientific process is challenging both the evidence and its analysis. This principle is embedded in the way the FSA does its work. This means that whether or not you're a scientist...
View ArticleWarning of poor diet in pregnancy
I couldn't help but notice the news story earlier last week that warned that a poor diet during pregnancy can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes in unborn children, the effects of which are...
View ArticleEating nuts when pregnant
There were stories in several papers last week linking regular consumption of nuts by mothers during pregnancy with a higher risk of developing asthma in their children. This is another study in a...
View ArticleTake the taste test
There was good news this week, with the results of our most recent urinary sodium analysis revealing that we are all eating less salt. The national average now stands at 8.6g – a 9% drop from the...
View ArticleUnderstanding behaviour change
Finding effective means of helping people choose, cook and eat safe, healthy food just isn’t as easy as some of us might hope. We know that interventions to encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles...
View ArticleDown under
Sadly, as mentioned last week, I was unable to deliver the opening address to the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's (NZFSA) Annual Conference, held in Rotorua New Zealand on 18 and 19 September. The...
View ArticleWhen Saturday comes
As a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Saturdays have been pretty grim of late. But Ben Goldacre's Bad Science article in Saturday's Guardian always provides some light relief. Apart from cheering me up,...
View ArticleThought for the day
Here's a quote from letter published in The Guardian on 1 December from Professor David Nutt, Chairman, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. 'It is the duty of scientific advisers to government to...
View ArticleReading between the lines
I recently welcomed Guardian columnist Ben Goldacre of Bad Science fame to the Agency for one of my occasional Chief Scientist lectures. He entertained many Agency staff and Scientific Advisory...
View ArticleOut with the old
Science and the media are strange bedfellows and share a complex relationship. Usually scientists bemoan the fact that science is misrepresented by journalists, either by using studies that grab...
View ArticleMaking sure it all adds up
I’m often on record saying that science is fundamental to the FSA’s work – it drives our investigations and understanding of the risks to consumers. Of course, the statistics and other analytical...
View ArticleFrom science to policy
Last week’s discussion of the Agency’s Nutrient Profiling Model has stimulated some discussion of the role of science in developing policy. The Agency has a proud record of being an evidence-based...
View ArticleFSA science under the microscope
In January last year, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, started the independent review of the FSA';s science. The report of the review is published today and I'm...
View ArticleIs science playing dumb?
Interesting to hear two people who have been involved in the Agency’s work debating the quality of science reporting on Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday. Ben Goldacre, who has delivered one of my...
View ArticleAnecdotes, science and aspartame
What role does ‘anecdotal evidence’ play in science? Truly anecdotal evidence is not evidence in the scientific sense, it's observation, it’s often subjective, and the effects seen may be due to a...
View ArticleWhen calorie counting doesn't add up
I enjoyed the article in this week's New Scientist, which highlighted the lack of precision in calorie labelling. Essentially, not all calories are equal since the complexity and texture of the food...
View ArticleOn organic food
Organic food has certainly been in the headlines today and as Andrew is on holiday, I’ve been asked to do a guest blog. I, by the way, am Gill Fine, Director of Consumer Choice and Dietary Health for...
View ArticleUnknown unknowns
You might have seen the media reporting yesterday that ham sandwiches shouldn't be included in children’s lunchboxes. While there is some evidence linking bowel cancer to red and processed meats, there...
View Article