The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a public consultation on various Northern Ireland feed and food regulations. The consultation is open for feedback until November 4, 2025.

The proposal would make changes to six existing Statutory Rules to ensure that food and feed safety and standards requirements continue to be fully enforceable in Northern Ireland, and to correct some minor errors.

Specifically, the proposal would make amendments to:

• The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007, to provide for additional offences and penalties as a clear consequential deterrent for non-compliance with requirements relating to use of vitamins, minerals, and other substances which are prohibited or restricted due to safety concerns
• The Food Safety (Information and Compositional Requirements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, to provide for the enforcement of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1798 relating to the specific compositional and information requirements for total diet replacement for weight control (TDR) products
• The Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, to revoke provisions that are no longer necessary (as they are now set out in relevant EU legislation) in relation to requirements placed on Northern Ireland food businesses regarding the form and application of health and identification marks for products of animal origin.

Additionally, the proposal would revoke two regulations that are no longer necessary, as they implement and enforce EU provisions that are no longer in force: The Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Reduction Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and The Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Addition of Substances for Specific Nutritional Purposes) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

The Salad Cream Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1966 would also be revoked, bringing Northern Ireland law in line with the rest of the UK, where equivalent legislation was revoked in 1991.

Small typographical errors would also be corrected in various regulations.