Managed risks????

Managed Risk Approach

Dr Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of National Development, was yesterday reported by TODAY newspaper as defending AVA (Agri-Food and Vet Authority) 's position... "....that Singapore takes a managed risk approach to food safety. To test for all kinds of chemicals and contaminants would require “many more laboratories and personnel”, and cause food prices to escalate."

errrr.....Dear Dr Maliki, ensuring safety of our food, should cause food prices to escalate?? Isn't that like saying, "...if we want safe streets, our taxes will go up." Surely safety monitoring of foods must be the government's role? Dr Maliki's idea of a "managed risk approach" seems a bit like neglect to me. A bit like saying, " ... don't tell us about the shit that's about to hit the fan. We'll manage the shit, when it does hit the fan!" I don't think we will need highly paid talented civil servants if that's the kind of approach to risk management. I mean the melamine issue (read 'shit') was already known 18 months ago after the US pet food recall. Now the AVA is scrambling for credibility after the melamine hit the fans,....simply because no one wanted to put in place a melamine assay. This is the consequence of the famous "managed risk approach"!!