Food Standards Agency unveils Future of Food regulation overhaul to modernize UK system

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has set out a sweeping program to modernize how food is regulated, outlining plans to reshape oversight so it better reflects the realities of today’s food system and emerging business models.

The Food Standards Agency has agreed the scope of its Future of Food Regulation program to modernize the UK’s food safety system.
Plans included exploring a national regulatory approach for large food businesses and strengthening enforcement, registration, and guidance systems.
The program also considered mandatory display of Food Hygiene Ratings in England to improve consumer transparency and trust.

The Future of Food Regulation program, approved by the FSA Board, aimed to develop proposals to strengthen the system responsible for food safety and standards, ensuring it remained effective as the sector evolved. The initiative came in response to shifting patterns in how food is produced, sold, and consumed, alongside the emergence of new types of food businesses.

At its core, the program set out a vision for a regulatory system that is effective, resilient, and trusted by both consumers and businesses. It sought to address the growing complexity of the food landscape, where digital platforms, new supply chains, and novel food formats were placing new demands on existing frameworks.

Among the key areas under review was the food business registration system, which the FSA said could be enhanced to improve its effectiveness. The agency also outlined plans to explore a national approach to regulating certain large businesses, including major supermarkets, making greater use of data and existing assurance systems alongside traditional in-person inspections.

That national approach followed a request from the UK government in the 2025 Budget, with funding now allocated to support the development of proposals. The FSA said the work would examine how centralized oversight could operate alongside local authority responsibilities, potentially streamlining regulation for large, complex operators.

Alongside structural changes, the program also focused on improving how guidance is delivered to both local authorities and businesses. The aim was to ensure that regulatory expectations are clearer and more consistent, helping to reduce ambiguity and improve compliance across the sector.

The FSA also signaled that enforcement powers could be strengthened where necessary, allowing regulators to take swift and proportionate action when food safety risks arise. At the same time, the agency emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between effective oversight and minimizing unnecessary administrative burdens for businesses.

Consumer-facing measures formed another pillar of the proposed reforms. The program included plans to improve the way information is communicated to the public, with one proposal to make the display of Food Hygiene Ratings mandatory in England. The FSA said this would build on existing public trust in the scheme and provide clearer, more consistent information at the point of purchase.

Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said the program was rooted in a straightforward objective. “Our goal is simple: everyone in this country should be able to trust that their food is safe. This shared purpose drives what we, and our delivery partners, do every day to protect public health and protect consumers.

The food system is changing, and we know that both businesses and local authorities are facing new challenges. We want to make sure food regulation keeps pace with that changing food landscape, and remains effective, resilient and trusted by consumers and businesses.

The goal may be simple but the task is not. We recognise the scale and impact of this wide set of potential policy reforms, which is why we need to work collaboratively with businesses and delivery partners as we develop proposals to strengthen the food regulatory system for the future.”

The Board said that improvements to the system could help identify food safety risks more quickly, while also reducing unnecessary administrative requirements for businesses. It stressed that any efficiencies would not come at the expense of maintaining high standards of food safety.

With the scope of the program now agreed, the FSA said it would move into a phase of broader engagement. This would involve working with local authorities, consumers, businesses, and industry bodies to refine proposals and ensure that changes are practical and widely supported.

The agency said collaboration would be central to delivering a regulatory system capable of responding to ongoing changes in the food sector, while continuing to protect public health and maintain confidence in the UK’s food supply.