Food Standards Agency sets out new five-year plan

The plan – covering the years 2015–20 – set out how it planned to protect public health and consumers’ interests in relation to food. Its goals were to ensure: food was safe, complied with label descriptions and that consumers had access to an affordable healthy diet, and can make informed choices about what they eat, now and in the future.

Produced or supplied​

The FSA report revealing the plan said: “The main objective of the FSA in carrying out its functions is to protect public health from risks which may arise in connection with the consumption of food (including the way in which it is produced or supplied and otherwise) to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food.”​ 

The agency repeated its pledge to put consumers first and acknowledged the growing challenges around food safety, affordability, security and sustainability.

Work with the food industry​

Setting out how the FSA planned to work with the food industry, local authorities and other parts of government, and with scientists, consumer and community groups and other stakeholders, the plan identified five means of achieving its goals.

Those included:

• Using science, evidence and information to tackle today’s challenges and identify and contribute to addressing emerging food safety risks

• Using legislative and non-legislative tools to protect consumer interests and deliver consumer benefits – influencing business behaviour in the interests of consumers

• Being open and engaging in finding ways to empower consumers in policy making and delivery, and in their relationship with the food industry

• Ensuring everyone is highly capable, effectively supported and consistently choose to make outstanding contributions to protecting, information and empowering consumers

• Setting out interim key objectives in the first two years.

Read more about the FSA’s plans for the next five years here​.

Meanwhile, the Food Manufacture Group is staging its one-day food safety conference, Safer food and drink – from the harvest to the home, at the The Lowry – Manchester on Tuesday September 29.

For more information about the conference – to be chaired by Professor Colin Dennis –  click here​.