A White Paper setting out the Government's proposals will be published shortly. Plans for the new independent Agency will affect every part of the food chain, from the plough to the plate.
Mr Rooker said:
"The new Agency will be a very powerful body. It will be able to do all that it needs, either directly or working with other parts of Government, to promote safe food of a very high standard. Its work will embrace the whole of the food chain. The consumer has to come first, but the Agency will also need to gain the trust of food producers, manufacturers and retailers if it is to succeed. It will therefore be important that the Agency consults with all its stakeholders, including the food industry, so that it commands respect and develops policies that can work in practice".
Mr Rooker was speaking at the Agra Europe Conference in London. Minister for Public Health Tessa Jowell gave a second keynote address at the conference on the Agency's role in protecting public health.