The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published the updated Food Law Codes of Practice and Practice Guidance for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, implementing a modernized, risk-based approach to food law enforcement with greater flexibility. The changes are designed to help local councils make the most effective use of their resources while ensuring the greatest public health outcomes.

The updates come after two years of collaboration and proposals development among FSA, local councils, and stakeholders, including a 12-week public consultation held in 2025.

Key changes to the Codes include:

• A more flexible, risk-based approach to prioritizing initial official controls of new food businesses, allowing local councils the flexibility to triage businesses when they first register
• Greater use of alternative control methods, including remote assessments in some cases, allowing local councils more choice to support more efficient resource utilization
• Broadening the cohort of professionals who can undertake certain activities to support the delivery of official controls in England and Wales, ensuring that an officer's expertise is dedicated to where it can have the most impact  
• The introduction of the new Food Standards Delivery Model in Wales, which was implemented in England and Northern Ireland in 2023, and which updates how local councils regulate food standards within food establishments.

FSA has also launched a revised Competency Standard which may be used to ensure that officers undertaking food safety checks are appropriately trained. The standard helps local councils assess the competency of their staff for the activities they undertake in their roles, and is used as part of ongoing professional development.

The new Codes, Practice Guidance, and Competency Standard can be accessed here.