食品专业英语论文

Science,uncertaintyandpolicy:foodforthought科学，不确定性和政策：有关食品的思考08食科汪强20080808132JohnR.Krebs*FoodStandardsAgency,POBox30080,Elephant&Castle,LondonSE16YA,UKAbstractTheorganisationandworkoftheFoodStandardsAgencyaredescribed.TheAgencyisanewnon-MinisterialGovernmentdepartmentwithresponsibilityforprotectingthehealthofthepublicandotherinterestsofconsumersinrelationtofood.Itsrolesencompassassessmentofrisk(throughscientificexpertcommittees)aswellasriskcommunicationandmanagement.AmongthemanychangesthattheAgencyhasbroughtaboutisanewcommitmenttoopenness.Allpolicydiscussionsanddecisionstakeplaceinpublic.DietandbovinespongiformencephalopathyareusedasexamplestoillustratetheAgency’sapproachestodealingwithriskanduncertainty.CrownCopyright©2001PublishedbyElsevierScienceIrelandLtd.Allrightsreserved.摘要：对食品标准局的组织和工作进行了阐述。该机构是一个新的非部长级政府部门与责任机构，为保护消费者的公众和其他利益健康有关食品其作用包括风险评估（通过科学的专家委员会），以及风险沟通和管理。其中，该机构带来了许多变化是开放的新承诺。所有政策讨论和决定采取在于公众。饮食和牛海绵状脑病被用来作为例子来说明该机构的方法处理风险和不确定性。皇冠版权所有©2001年由ElsevierScience爱尔兰有限公司出版保留所有权利。Keywords:Foodpolicy;Risk;Uncertainty;Phytoestrogens;BSE关键词：粮食政策;风险;不确定性;植物雌激素;疯牛病1.IntroductionTheFoodStandardsAgencyisanewUKgovernmentdepartmentwithresponsibilityforallaspectsoffoodsafetyandstandards.Itsjobistogiveusefuladviceandmakepoliciesthatwork,basedonthebestavailablescientificevidence.SomeofthatcomesfromtheAgency’sownin-housestaff,butmuchisprovidedbyoutsideexperts,suchastoxicologists.Whiledecisionsbasedonscienceareuseful,oneofthecrucialaspectsofthescientificapproachisthatresultsareoftenuncertain.Asscientists,wemaynotlikethewaythatuncertaintyisportrayedinthemediaorexploitedbyvestedinterests,buttheFoodStandardsAgencyhastointerpretthescientificevidence—uncertaintiesandall—toproposesoundpolicyoptions,despiteuncertainties.TheAgencyalsodoesasmuchaspossibletoreduceuncertaintybyfundingresearch.TheAgency’stwomainconcernsaredietandhealthandfoodsafety.Whiletheboundariesbetweenthetwoareoftenblurred,theycanalsobedistinguished.Ontheonehand,generalaspectsofdiet—whatpeopleeat,howmuch,howoftenhaveaprofoundinfluenceongeneralaspectsofhealthsuchaslongevity,particularsymptoms,andwhatiscomingtobecalledwellness.Ontheotherhand,specificfoods,ingredientsandthechemicalstheycontaincanhaveaverydirectimpactonhealth.ThosearethebroadquestionstheFoodStandardsAgencyisinterestedin.Howdoesitoperate?1．简介食品标准局是一个新的英国政府部门，负责对所有食品安全和标准方面。它的任务是提供有用的意见，使政策的工作，根据可获得的最佳科学证据。一些来自机构自身的内部人员，但多是由外部专家，如毒理学，提供。虽然在科学的基础决策是有用的，科学方法的重要方面之一是，结果往往是不确定的。作为科学家，我们可能不喜欢的方式-不确定性，不确定性是描绘在媒体或利用既得利益，但食品标准局已经解释的科学证据和所有-提出健全的政策选项，尽管不确定性。该机构还尽可能减少资助研究的不确定性。该机构的两个主要问题是饮食健康和食品安全。虽然两者之间的界限往往是模糊的，他们也可以区别开来。一方面，一般的饮食方面-人吃什么，多少，有多少次了深刻的影响一般健康方面，如长寿，特别是症状，什么是未来被称为健康。在另一方面，特定的食物，成分和它们含有的化学物质，可以有很直接的对健康的影响。食品标准原子能机构大家对这些广泛的问题感兴趣，它们该如何运作的呢？2.TheFoodStandardsAgencyTheAgencyisnotanagencyatall,intheoldgovernmentsenseoftheword,butanewUKwideGovernmentdepartmentwithofficesinEngland,NorthernIreland,ScotlandandWales.Unlikemostotherdepartments,however,itisnon-ministerial;thereisnoMinisterforFoodSafety,buttheFoodStandardsAgencyisaccountabletotheWestminsterParliamentandthedevolvedauthoritiesthroughtheirHealthMinistersandSecretaries.TheAgency’spowersarevestedinitsBoard,whichconsistsof14independentmembers,andareexercisedbythestaffoftheAgency,one-thirdofwhomarescientistsbytraining.TheBoardiscompletelyindependent.ItsmemberswerechosentoreflectthenationalresponsibilitiesoftheFoodStandardsAgencyandtheexpertiseneededtodothejobproperly—publichealth,consumerchampions,foodproductionandprocessing,catering,communications,andsoon.Mostimportantly,allthemembersoftheBoardwereappointedafteranopencompetition,heldundertherulesandprinciplesestablishedbytheCommissionofStandardsinPublicLife.ThereisapubliclyavailablecodeofconductforBoardMembers,andapublicregisterofmembers’interests,sotheAgencycansetitselfhighstandards,whichisimportantifitistogainthetrustofthemanydifferentstakeholderswithaninterestinfood.Thesestandards,andtheappointmentandregisterofinterestsoftheBoard,reflectanothernovelaspectoftheFoodStandardsAgency:itiscommittedtoopenness.Tothisend,allBoardmeetings,includingdebatesanddiscussionsofkeypolicyissues,takeplaceinpublic.Inadditiontobeingopenandprovidinginformationtothepublic,theAgencyhasalsosetoutdeliberatelytolistentothepublic.Opennessandpublicparticipationareveryimportant.Traditionally,peopleingovernmenthaveregardedconsultationasanadd-on,thefinalstepinthedecision-makingprocess.AttheFoodStandardsAgency,wearedeterminedtomakeconsultationanintegralpartofthework,andtoconsultthoseaffectedbyanydecisionasearlyintheprocessaspossible.However,thiswillnotbemerelyanexerciseingivingthosewithpowermoreofit.Relevantindustries,consumerorganizationsandthelikewillhavetheirsay,buttheAgencyisalsoverykeentoreachouttopeoplewhohavetraditionallynothadavoice—theunderprivilegedandthedeprived—andisworkingtodevelopbetterwaystodiscovertheirviewsthanthetraditionalformalprocesses.Inadditiontoanewapproach,theFoodStandardsAgencyalsohasnewpowers.Itwillpublishtheadvicegiventoministers,sothatpeoplecanjudgewhethertheAgencyisdoingitsjobeffectively.Ithasth