FSA Board supports new plans to strengthen the food safety system

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board has agreed to move forward with designing plans to build a modern system that protects the public, supports businesses and keeps food safe now and in the future.

Close up of a meeting room table and chairs / Agoslun o fwrdd a chadeiriau mewn ystafell gyfarfod

Under the Future of Food Regulation programme, these proposals aim to reform the whole system. This includes strengthening local delivery across the UK, giving local authority food teams the tools they need, introducing a more consistent national approach to scrutinise the very largest food businesses, and ensuring high food standards are maintained in a changing market.

Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said: 

“The system that protects our food has served us well for many years, maintaining some of the highest food standards in the world. But the way people buy, sell and produce food has changed enormously, and we need to keep pace with that change so that we can be confident of continuing to keep food safe into the future. 

“Local authority food teams are the backbone of food safety in this country. Their expertise and deep knowledge of the businesses and communities they serve is irreplaceable. 

“We have engaged with over 1,200 stakeholders across the UK to better understand the challenges facing the current system and the changes needed to support local delivery. This feedback will inform the plans as we move into the next phase of design. 

“As a Board, we’re confident that our proposals can strengthen food safety as a whole, improving the local system of regulation for the vast majority of businesses, and complementing that with national scrutiny for a handful of very large businesses in order to strengthen public protection in the future. This is in line with the Government’s ambitions for growth and for decision-making at a local level by default.