The Swedish Food Agency published its annual report on food controls for 2025, which noted an increase in the number of food inspections from the previous year, but also noted areas for improvement.
At the same time, poor hygiene ratings among inspected businesses remain low. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has acknowledged a years-long inspection backlog and inspector workforce shortages, and is currently developing a modernized approach to food business regulation.
The “Future of Food Regulation” program now moves into a detailed design phase. Areas targeted for reform include food business registration, inspections and regulation of large food businesses, enforcement powers and guidance, and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme requirements.
The program, which was explored after the Boar’s Head outbreak of 2024 spurred the agency to reevaluate its inspection and Listeria monitoring protocols, was piloted in FY 2026 and will be expanded to FSIS districts nationwide.
The order, aimed at expanding market access for U.S. meat producers, focuses on growing existing state inspection programs and state–federal agreements. It also calls for “sharpening inspection to focus on core food safety” and removing “overly prescriptive” USDA-FSIS requirements.
In August 28 social media posts, President Trump and USDA Secretary Rollins alluded to plans to give ranchers and farmers the ability to process their own meats and other efforts to cut “red tape.” Industry groups said these actions would jeopardize food safety and consumer confidence.
New Zealand Food Safety has issued new guidance for verifying multi-site food businesses, establishing consistent onsite sampling recommendations for verifiers, intended to reduce costs and increase certainty for industry while ensuring food safety.
The accreditation from COFRAC, France’s sole national accreditation body, covers inspections to assess food safety and quality practices at food retail establishments.
According to the ruling, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) included certain costs in its meat controls hourly rate and enforcement rate that were outside the scope of permissible charges under the applicable official controls legislation.
In a new peer-reviewed article, researchers make a case for linking data from both routine foodservice establishment inspections and foodborne illness surveillance, while acknowledging existing challenges, like inconsistent adoption of FDA’s Food Code and electronic data collection systems.
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