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FSA chair reverses decision to step down

By William Dodds

- Last updated on GMT

Professor Susan Jebb has been in the role since 2021. Credit: Food Standards Agency
Professor Susan Jebb has been in the role since 2021. Credit: Food Standards Agency
Professor Susan Jebb will continue as chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) after her appointment was extended.

Having taken up the role in 2021, Professor Jebb had been set to step down on 30 June 2024 following the conclusion of her three-year team.

However, after ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland asked her to stay on, Jebb has reversed her initial decision.

Due to the snap general election that was called in May there was insufficient time for a new term to be agreed, but a temporary extension has been settled on to allow for further consideration by ministers from the new Labour government.

The appointment is made by the secretary of state for health and social care and their counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland. Food Standards Scotland fulfils the same role in Scotland.

Alongside her position at the FSA, Professor Jebb is also a professor of diet and population health at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford.

Commenting on the decision to stay on, Professor Jebb said: “It remains a huge privilege to be the chair of such a fantastic organisation, and I am happy to remain as FSA Chair at this important time. I am extremely grateful to colleagues at the University of Oxford whose support has made this possible.”

After a short campaign, Labour secured a landslide victory in last week’s election after claiming 421 seats in the House of Commons. In response, several leading bodies from across the food and drink manufacturing sector have called for action to support the industry and help deliver a more sustainable and secure future.

In other news, Carlsberg has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire soft drinks manufacturer Britvic for £3.3bn.

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