The relationship between the food industry and the media was called into question at an Open Day at the Surrey headquarters of Leatherhead Food International.

BBC Consumer affairs correspondent Nicola Carslow called for better co-operation between the two in a keynote speech, 'Media and the Food industry - Friends or Foes?' 'For the last five years, we at the BBC have heard promises of more openness and greater trust between the media and the food industry – yet these promises rarely translate into practice,' Carslow said.

'When the chips are down – in the face of industry issues – all too often we are passed on to a trade association spokesman who gives only a committee-approved bland holding statement. So we don't get those all-important pictures of the production line and are not granted the much-needed key interview with the food technologist.

'The story we tell is poorer for it – as is the explanation,' she continued. 'Denying access to the media leads to the inevitable question – why, what has this company got to hide? 'Some retailers and manufacturers have the foresight to break the code of silence, a strategy which works in their favour. This approach leads to a well-balanced story and positive message relaying to BBC News viewers and listeners, creating better understanding and empathy with them.' LFI chief executive officer John Bevington said: 'This is LFI's first Open Day since our 2002 re-launch and the company has achieved much cultural change. Let's hope Nicola's plea now heralds change within the UK food industry, towards a new realisation of the benefits of more transparency with the authoritative elements of the media that act with integrity.'