Transparency data

Chief Executive’s Report to the Board

Published 25 June 2026

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

1. Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement  

1.1      The FSA continues to provide expert input to the ongoing cross-Government work on negotiations with the EU on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.  To help businesses prepare for a mid-2027 Entry into Force, on 28 May, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published additional information.  These resources, where relevant, have been co-developed with FSA officials and are designed to help businesses understand forthcoming requirements and take practical steps towards readiness.  This is not final guidance, but signposts to the expected changes and key actions for businesses.

1.2      The FSA has proactively engaged stakeholders on SPS readiness, including Port Health Authorities, through regular planned engagement, and four further roundtables with the agri-food sector.  We have hosted seven Local Authority events across the country with a further six planned later in June.  We will continue to liaise with industry to support readiness for implementation.

1.3      In April, HM Treasury approved the business case which we had submitted for additional funding for the FSA’s work on the SPS agreement.  We secured £4.7m of funding, which has been allocated internally.  We will continue to work with the Treasury on the FSA’s future requirements for funding this work in the current year and across the spending review period, with the hope that we can secure some certainty about multi-year funding later this year.

2. Regulation for Growth

2.1      Following the FSA’s delivery of our four commitments under the UK Government’s Regulation Action Plan last year, we have continued to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade on their approach to regulation and growth.  

2.2      As part of this, the FSA has been asked to agree a set of ‘growth goals’ with Department of Health and Social Care ministers, as our sponsor department.  The final, agreed goals will be published shortly.  We expect them to recognise our work to support economic growth, reduce trade barriers and enable innovation in the food sector, while maintaining high standards of food safety and consumer protection.  This includes through our work to support delivery of the SPS agreement, and to develop a new approach to regulation for large food businesses in England.   

3. Future of Food Regulation

3.1      In March, the Board agreed to establish the Future of Food Regulation programme, with the aim of delivering an effective, resilient and trusted regulatory system that is fit for the future to ensure that food is safe and what it says it is.  Since then, we have been carrying out extensive stakeholder engagement during May and June, with over 40 events attended to date or scheduled.  We have also had the inaugural meeting of the Senior Advisory Forum to our internal programme board, who will act as critical friends ahead of key decision-making junctures. 

3.2      By the end of June 2026, the team will have developed a detailed workplan for the Future of Food Regulation programme, outlining the path towards delivering the proposals for a national approach to regulation requested by the UK Government as part of a wider programme of reforms which will also support better delivery of regulation at local level.  Then, over the summer, the team intend to establish working groups and technical groups, containing representatives from our key stakeholder groups, to start working on the detailed design of proposals.  During this period, we will refine and shortlist high-level design options, which we are planning to bring to the September Board.

4. Judicial Reviews

4.1      The judicial review challenging aspects of the FSA’s 25-26 meat charges was heard on 21 and 22 April, and the court recently handed down its judgment.  The Court found against the FSA in this case.  We are disappointed with this ruling, and are seeking leave to appeal.

4.2      While the majority of our charges will not be in dispute, the ruling does create uncertainty over some elements.  We know businesses will want clarity on what this will ultimately mean in practice, and we will provide further information as quickly as the legal process allows.

4.3      On 4 June, judgment was also handed down in a judicial review brought against the Secretary of State for Defra, challenging the lawfulness of the decision to make the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025.  The FSA had supported Defra in defending the case by providing evidence of our work to develop an authorisation system for the sale of precision bred products.  The Court rejected three of the four grounds of challenge, but upheld one ground, finding that the Secretary of State’s decision-making was affected by a misunderstanding of the scope of the legal powers available, particularly in relation to traceability and the potential use of mandatory labelling.  The Court has not yet determined what remedy should follow.  Defra will consider the court’s decision and respond in due course.

5. Food System Impacts of the Conflict in the Middle East

5.1      We are working closely with Defra, Food Standards Scotland and industry partners to maintain a shared, up‑to‑date understanding of any implications arising from the Middle East conflict.  Complementing this work, the NFCU led a cross‑administration workshop on 7 May, bringing together food and feed experts from UK regulators and Defra to assess emerging risks to UK food commodities arising from the Middle East conflict.  The key findings from the workshop indicated that while the UK faces no immediate risk of widespread food shortages, the system is vulnerable to cascading indirect effects, particularly along extended supply chains and in conditions of sustained economic and logistical pressure.  

5.2      The most immediate domestic impacts of this disruption are likely to be on food affordability and access, but it is also likely to present greater opportunities for food crime.  The FSA will utilise existing vehicles for communication with industry partners to share perceived threats by means of enhanced horizon scanning content in the NFCU industry newsletter, the IRU Prevention Bulletin, relationship manager engagement and communication of key findings via the Food Industry Liaison Group. 

6. Evaluation of Communications on Infant Formula

6.1      We recently conducted an evaluation of our communications to support the infant formula contamination incident earlier in the year.  This was a wide-ranging incident, involving multiple recalls of a wide range of baby formula products, all of which were well-known household brands.  The aim of our communications was to make sure parents and caregivers were aware of the product recalls and took action to stop feeding any potentially affected products to babies.  Initial research has shown that 90 percent of consumers in our target audience were aware of the recalls.  Among parents and caregivers using formula, 96 per cent acted because of our communications. 

7. Engagements

7.1      This quarter has involved significant international engagement for me.  In April, I attended the 2026 International Heads of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) in New Zealand, an annual gathering that brings together food regulators from across the globe.  The theme of this year’s plenary session was risk communication.  I gave a presentation on the role of communications in driving public trust, which you can read in full online.  We look forward to hosting the next IHFAF meeting in the UK in 2027.

7.2      While there, I had bilateral meetings with counterparts from Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, India, and the North and Irish Sea Subgroup.  These discussions were a helpful reminder that, while our regulatory systems differ, the challenges we face are strikingly similar.

7.3      En route to New Zealand, I also visited a range of stakeholders in Tokyo, on a visit facilitated by the British Embassy.  I met with senior Japanese government stakeholders, regulators and industry leaders, including the Consumer Affairs Agency, key ministries, and the Food Safety Commission, alongside meetings with the Japan Bioindustry Association and the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture.  Discussions focused on emerging regulatory approaches to novel foods, particularly CCPs and precision fermentation, with our colleagues in Japan looking to understand the UK experience as it develops its own framework.  There was a clear appetite for continued UK-Japan collaboration and knowledge exchange.

7.4      Back in the UK, I have continued my usual programme of cross-government engagement, meeting with counterparts across the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency.  I have also engaged in regular cross-government discussions on the SPS Agreement, and on food system impacts of disruption in the Middle East. 

7.5      Our Parliamentary reception on 2 June provided an opportunity for engagement with a wide range of industry stakeholders.  This quarter, I also met with the British Retail Consortium’s Technical Leaders group, which included representatives from across the sector such as Asda, Ocado, Marks & Spencer and Lidl.  Further, I had introductory meetings with the new Director Generals at each of the National Farmers’ Union and the British Soft Drinks Association, and alongside our Chair, met the Chair and CEO of UK Hospitality.

7.6      I have also met various third sector organisations, including through my attendance at the Food Foundation’s Broken Plate Report launch on 10 June.  I met with the co-CEO of the Trussell Trust, Matthew van Duyvenbode, and Southampton-based food redistribution charity The Big Difference. 

7.7      In May, I was invited to speak at the opening of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London.  I was very pleased to hear praise from innovators and academics for the constructive engagement they have had from our teams running the Cell-cultivated Products Sandbox and Innovation Research Programme.  I heard how important these initiatives are in providing the regulatory clarity that companies need to bring products safely to market and to have confidence in the UK as a place to do business.