Food Standards Agency

When does food fear end and common sense begin?

When does food fear end and common sense begin?

By Ben Bouckley

Mooching through Chinatown in London a few weeks ago, I entered a labyrinthine store and picked up a box of what I thought (my Mandarin skills deserting me) were teabags, but turned out to be sachets of freeze-dried cane sugar, glucose and wild hawthorn...

Making food family fun

Making food family fun

By Mark Rigby

As an industry we spend a great deal of time and money developing ‘healthy’ food solutions and menus for schools and support the ‘food’ education of children in school. However, once a child leaves the school gate there is very little support and, in...

FSA plays it safe with updated 2015 strategy

FSA plays it safe with updated 2015 strategy

By Ben Bouckley

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says its new strategic plan to 2015 reflects recent changes in nutrition responsibilities in the UK, with principal spending areas covering its core remit of effective regulation and food safety.

Bakewell Tart and breast milk ice cream anyone?

FSA goes Gaga over breast milk ice cream...

By Ben Bouckley

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating whether a controversial ice cream made with donated breast milk, and sold in a London restaurant, breaches food safety regulations.

It's time to take the politics out of food ...

It's time to take the politics out of food ...

By Clare Cheney

The media described the recent incident concerning dioxin in pork and egg products from animals fed with dioxin-contaminated feed as ‘a scandal’. But this is compounded by the needless and wasteful slaughter of expensively reared animals and the destruction...

Clement-Jones: Value for money

Peer probes FSA aspartame study as costs double

By Elaine Watson

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones has called on the Department of Health to explain how spending £322,000 of taxpayers' money on a study addressing consumer concerns over aspartame represents value for money at a time when budgets are so stretched.

Goji berries: Narrowly escaped novel foods process

Efficacy of novel food should balance risks

By Rick Pendrous

Food companies want the potential benefits of novel foodstuffs to be weighed against their food safety risks when they are being considered for approval by the regulatory authorities.

FDF seeks to curb excessive 'may contains' labelling

FDF seeks to curb excessive 'may contains' labelling

By Elaine Watson

The Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF’s) allergens steering group has published a paper setting out a best practice approach to allergen management that aims to tackle excessive ‘may contains’ labelling.

Smith: More bang for your buck

Tim Smith: FSA cash must be allocated differently

By Elaine Watson

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will have to trim its budget by at least 25% over the next four years, which means it will have to “hand a great deal of responsibility [for food safety enforcement] back to the industry”, according to chief executive Tim...

All for one – and one department for all


All for one – and one department for all


By Clare Cheney

Upon learning that responsibility for food labelling in England is to be distributed between three government departments, these words from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado sprung to mind: “but the laws of common sense, you oughtn’t to ignore”.

Nano definition is a legal minefield, warn scientists

Nano definition is a legal minefield, warn scientists

By Elaine Watson

Agreeing on a legal definition of nanomaterials that satisfies food manufacturers, regulators, enforcement bodies and consumers will be hugely challenging, according to experts gathered at a nanotechnology workshop in Leatherhead last week.

Industry radio silence is not moving nanotechnology debate forward

Industry radio silence is not moving nanotechnology debate forward

By Elaine Watson

No one is expecting food manufacturers to share commercially sensitive information about nanotechnology projects, but adopting a policy of radio silence on the subject will only reinforce the perception that they have something to hide, according to experts...

Clare Cheney

Which God made the seven-day milk rule?

By Clare Cheney

The European Parliament’s (EP’s) call for milk labelled as ‘fresh’ to be under seven days old raises the question of the meaning of ‘fresh’ in relation to any food.


food testing

Local government budget cuts threaten public health

By Rick Pendrous

Swingeing cuts to local authority finances risk creating another serious foodborne disease outbreak on a par with the E.coli O157 incident in Wales in 2005, food safety experts have warned.

Retailers launch plan to stem campylobacter in poultry

Retailers launch plan to stem campylobacter in poultry

By Rick Pendrous

Retailers are behind a core part of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) latest five-year strategy of targeting the UK's biggest source of foodborne illness. They have come up with a plan to work with their suppliers to substantially reduce...

Safer food means better business

Safer food means better business

By Mark Rigby

As a consumer, caterer, chef and food developer, I have found the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to be a great source of clear and concise information that has helped me to make more informed choices and, more importantly, produce food safely. It has lived...

Food Standards Agency

Government confirms retention of slimline FSA

By Ben Bouckley

The government has confirmed that a slimmed-down Food Standards Agency (FSA) will survive with a renewed focus on food safety, but will lose its English responsibility for country of origin labelling and policy relating to food composition and nutrition.

Caroline Spelman: FSA should remain independent

Caroline Spelman: FSA should remain independent

By Elaine Watson

Breaking up the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and shifting those parts responsible for food safety into the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would be a mistake, according to DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman.

IFST: Dismantling FSA would be

IFST: Dismantling FSA would be "huge loss" to industry

By Elaine Watson

Press reports suggesting that breaking up the Food Standards Agency (FSA) would constitute a ‘victory’ for the food industry are misleading and “very annoying”, according to the boss of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST).

Speculation mounts over future of FSA

Speculation mounts over future of FSA

By Ben Bouckley and Elaine Watson

Further questions about the government’s plans for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have been raised this week as the Department of Health (DoH) prepares to unveil a white paper outlining its strategy for the health service.

Lobby stifles
GM debate

Lobby stifles
GM debate

By Julian Hunt

Oh dear. The furore surrounding the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) project on genetic modification (GM) is an unwelcome reminder of how a small group of campaigners remains absolutely determined to derail any sensible debate in the UK about...

FSA: We have ‘turned the tide’ on UK salt consumption

FSA: We have ‘turned the tide’ on UK salt consumption

By Elaine Watson

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has “turned the tide” on UK salt consumption and delivered one of the most effective diet-related campaigns in history despite its limited funds, its boss has claimed.

Sid the Slug campaign

FSA: Salt sales might be up, but consumption is down

By Elaine Watson

The sharp rise in sales of salt over the past year is not a sign that consumers are increasingly compensating for the lack of salt in processed foods by adding more at the table, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has insisted.

Silo refurbishment blamed for Hovis glass recall

Silo refurbishment blamed for Hovis glass recall

By Elaine Watson

The "likely source" of the glass that has allegedly been found in selected Hovis Hearty Oats loaves has been identified as refurbishment work on a storage silo, brand owner Premier Foods has revealed.

What’s next for food policy?

What’s next for food policy?

By Lorraine Heller

As the flurry of post-election activity culminated in the Queen’s speech last week, some areas of legislation impacting business in the UK are starting to take shape, but key decisions on food policy remain unclear.

Govt slashes RDA budget by £270m, DEFRA by £162m

Govt slashes RDA budget by £270m, DEFRA by £162m

By Elaine Watson

The new coalition government will cut £270m from regional development agencies (RDAs), cut DEFRA's budget by £162m and slash £600m from quangos this year as it embarks on a radical cost-cutting drive to save £6.2bn.

ice cream

New ice cream definition would boost reformulation work

By Elaine Watson

The UK definition of 'ice cream' must be brought in line with the rest of Europe if the Food Standards Agency (FSA) wants manufacturers to make meaningful progress on saturated fat reduction, according to a leading supplier.

Greencore: sandwich market has solid potential

Greencore: sandwich market has solid potential

By Elaine Watson

Barring another financial crash, the UK sandwich market should continue to see solid growth this year as shoppers tire of making their own packed lunches and look to retailers and caterers to provide an affordable alternative, according to one leading...

Mintel: Low-fat claims slump as ‘green’ claims grow

Mintel: Low-fat claims slump as ‘green’ claims grow

By Elaine Watson

The percentage of new products launched in Europe containing low- or no-fat claims dropped from 8% in 2005 to just 5% in 2009, while the percentage containing ‘green’ messages has grown rapidly over the same period, according to Mintel.