Professor Philip James, of the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, who originally proposed setting up an agency to ministers, has urged for more openness in the food industry.

He told a Lords select committee consumer trust "is one of the most difficult things to achieve".

Consumer trust is "difficult to achieve"

There has been speculation the prime minister may not include the new watchdog in the Queen's Speech on November 24 to make room for planned Lords reform.

Consumer and green lobby groups want a new agency to boost public confidence in the food industry following the BSE crisis and the current row over genetically modified foods.

Professor James said: "You have to get away from the traditional British view that, 'I am the expert and you don't know what you are talking about.'

"That is a crazy way of going about it. We need a process which effectively begins to allow a debate in a more public way.

"It won't solve the problem because everything I have learned since my report, implies the need for an integrated process. Throughout the world, other organisations are coming to the same conclusion."

Big issues need addressing

He underlined the "real danger" if the bill is not included in the next parliamentary session, especially with "all this heat and discussion about genetically modified organisms and BSE."

There were "at least a dozen big issues" that needed to be addressed, he said.