UK to strengthen food safety regulations

The UK Food Standards Agency has called for a national review of how food safety regulations are enforced. Food safety in the UK is currently managed by the FSA, however enforcement is by a combination of employees of the FSA and other government departments, contractors and local authorities. The Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Tim Smith said at a food safety conference on Friday that a more efficient approach to enforcing food safety regulations was needed.
"[The current enforcement] system can be complex and in the current climate of increased financial pressures it is timely to consider how we can secure better efficiency, consistency, and resilience in this vital area of public health protection," he said. "Our goal will be to ensure that the system we have in place is the best way of protecting consumers." Mr Smith said a review of how food safety is regulated in the UK followed an earlier request made by the First Minister for Wales, who asked the FSA to carry out a review on food law enforcement in Wales.
According to the FSA, a national review will see the Agency working closely with the food industry, local authorities, and professional bodies like the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in considering alternative approaches to enforcement that will offer the best protection for consumers. The review will cover all four countries of the UK.