On April 1, 2025, reforms to the UK Food and Feed Regulated Products Regulations entered into force, making two notable changes to the existing framework, which was retained from EU legislation after Brexit. The reforms were initially proposed in March 2024.

The reforms are intended to help the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) more efficiently conduct risk assessments for food product market authorizations, without compromising food safety or standards. The two reforms intended to achieve this are:

1. Removing the requirement to renew authorizations every ten years for three regulated product categories (feed additives, smoke flavorings, and food or feed containing, consisting of, or produced from, genetically modified organisms).
2. Allowing authorizations to come into effect following ministerial decision (rather than by legislation), followed by publication in an official public register or list.

The changes will allow FSA and FSS to focus their resources on assessing products that pose the highest safety risk, and will shorten the administrative period before approved products can be marketed.

The full Food and Feed (Regulated Products) (Amendment, Revocation, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 can be read here.