The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a new five-year strategy for improving food in the United Kingdom, reflecting FSA’s responsibilities since Brexit and growing public concern about health and climate change. The strategy outlines FSA’s expanded responsibilities since the UK left the EU, including food safety standardization and regulation.
In the five-year strategy, FSA expressed its commitment to “food you can trust” across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The agency’s intent is to maintain a food system in which food is safe, food “is what it says it is,” and food is healthier and more sustainable. The strategy outlines ways in which FSA will meet the aforementioned objectives, including but not limited to:
- Inspecting, auditing, and assuring businesses producing meat, wine, dairy, and shellfish
- Working with local authorities to deliver Official Controls (inspections, audits, and surveillance) related to food hygiene and food standards
- Tackling fraud and criminality within food supply chains through the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU)
- Ensuring food businesses understand their responsibilities for allergen labeling.
FSA’s strategy emphasizes the roles it will carry out in the UK food system to deliver its vision such as generating evidence and analysis to inform food safety work; advising and developing food safety policy; directly regulating the meat, dairy, and wine sectors; publishing advice and information to support consumer health as it relates to food safety; and collaborating with public and private parties across the food industry.
Specific details about how FSA will implement the strategy and measure progress are also listed in the strategy.
