On May 1, new powers went into effect equipping the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) in England and Wales—part of the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA)—with specific investigatory powers under The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

In July 2023, Food Safety Magazine reported on FSA launching a public consultation on proposed enhanced investigatory powers for NFCU. That story can be found here.

NFCU was set up following the Elliot Review, in the wake of the horse meat crisis of 2013. Since then, the unit has grown with the aim of preventing food fraud and supporting businesses to meet its responsibilities to make and sell safe food. Over the past decade, NFCU has worked with partner organizations such as the police and local authorities to fight food fraud, prosecuting and deterring offenders. 

“These new powers are a vital tool to ensure that NFCU investigations can be progressed more directly and effectively,” said Andrew Quinn, Head of NFCU. “Our investigators will be able to apply for and execute search warrants, increasing our ability to respond quickly to intelligence and to continue to ensure that swift action is taken to tackle food fraud.”

Chris Elliott, professor of food safety and microbiology at Queen’s University, said, “The new powers that have been given to the FSA’s NFCU are of huge importance in the ongoing fight against food crime in the UK. The ability to enter and search premises immediately following the arrest of suspects will make it much more difficult for criminals to dispose of incriminating evidence and cover their tracks. I have supported this advance in the Unit’s powers for many years and am delighted to see them coming into force. The many bona fide food businesses and UK consumers will be better protected as a result.”