Transparency data

Welsh Food Advisory Committee (WFAC) Director's Report – 22 October 2026

Published 8 October 2026

Applies to Wales

1. Summary

This report brings together key updates for the Committee, including:

• a link to the Chief Executive’s Report and update presented to the Board at its meeting on 16 September 2026; and
• an overview of recent developments, key areas of progress and matters of interest from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales team for the Committee’s consideration.

Members of the committee are invited to:

• note the update
• invite the Director to expand on any issues for further discussion

2. Chief Executive’s Report to the Board

The latest Chief Executive’s Report was presented at the Board meeting on 16 September 2026 and provides a wider organisational context for the updates included in this report.

3. Update from the Director for FSA in Wales

Over recent months, the team has continued to support delivery, influence policy development and strengthen engagement across Wales, working closely with partners to help ensure food is safe and what it says it is.

Over the first couple of months in post, I have focused on establishing and nurturing key relationships, while taking the time to better understand the breadth of the FSA’s work and priorities in Wales. This has included spending time with the team to understand their areas of expertise, current priorities and the opportunities to further strengthen our collective contribution across policy, delivery and strategy.

A number of events have also supported my induction, providing valuable opportunities to see the FSA’s work in Wales first-hand, meet key stakeholders and better understand the team’s contribution across a range of priorities. These have included the WFAC themed meeting in July, our presence at Y Farchnad, the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod, some of which are expanded on further in this report.

Over the last quarter, the policy teams in Wales have continued to make strong progress across several important workstreams, including:

• Maintaining momentum on UK-EU SPS Agreement preparations across all FSA policy areas, including our wider food standards remit, ensuring Wales-specific policy, legislative and operational considerations are reflected as the programme develops. We continue to work closely with the Welsh Government and Defra on public consultation, business readiness and local authority preparedness.

• Contributing to the central FSA workstreams for food hypersensitivity including the reviews of the Provision of Information Guidance, the National Allergy Strategy and the e-learning module.

• Leading the revision and consultation of the ‘Reducing the risk of vulnerable adults contracting Listeriosis’ guidance for health and social care organisations. The guidance has been updated in response to feedback from food businesses operating in these settings and local authorities (LAs), with the aim of making it clearer and easier to follow. The revision of this guidance is part of the FSA’s wider programme of work on foodborne disease and applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A 12-week consultation launched on 23 September.

• Analysing the responses received to the consultation for a revised system of financial support (discount) for abattoirs and game handling establishments and working with colleagues to produce the summary of responses and prepare for the discussion at the Board meeting in September.

Our delivery teams, who work closely with LAs and lead regulatory audit and consumer protection activity in Wales, have also been progressing a range of important work, including:

• Continuing to support LAs as they implement the Food Standards Delivery Model (FSDM) in Wales, with 12 LAs moved over to the new model and the remaining authorities on track to be onboarded by the end of the October transition deadline.

• Holding a well-attended session (21 September) with expert panel chairs and the Welsh Government to discuss the recommendations from the review of the FSA’s functions in Wales. Participants provided constructive feedback on what is working well and suggested ways to further strengthen the relationship. Notes and proposed next steps will be circulated to attendees.

• This year, the LA Audit Programme for Wales is focused on sampling controls and outstanding audit actions. Good progress is being made, with two of the six planned audits already completed and further audits scheduled over the coming months. The team also continues to support the Welsh aspects of EU and third-country audits planned across the UK, with preparations underway for upcoming activity relating to live aquatic animals and food contact materials.

• The team is continuing to work with other agencies, including Public Health Wales (PHW) and the UK Health Security Agency, to investigate a national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis. To support the ongoing investigation, the FSA has published bilingual FSA safe egg handling advice and shared communications with LAs requesting support in raising awareness of good egg handling practices with Food Business Operators. The team in Wales will continue to work with PHW, Welsh LAs and other partners across the UK in relation to food chain investigations and sampling.

Our strategy teams in Wales have continued to strengthen the reach and impact of key FSA messages across Wales by bringing together communications, Welsh language and stakeholder insight to ensure our work is visible, accessible and relevant to Welsh audiences. This has included:

• In July, the FSA in Wales took part in the Senedd’s Y Farchnad event, providing an important opportunity to engage directly with newly elected Members of the Senedd and raise awareness of the FSA’s role in protecting consumers and ensuring food is safe and what it says it is. Through discussions with parliamentarians from across Wales, we highlighted key priorities including food safety, consumer protection and the importance of effective food regulation, while strengthening relationships that will support future engagement and policy discussions.

• We also attended the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show in July, supporting both the FSA Chair and WFAC Chair in engagement with key stakeholders. As usual, the event was an important opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders from across the food, farming and public sectors. The event enabled senior representatives, including our Chair and members of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee, to strengthen relationships with Ministers, industry representatives and partner organisations, while raising awareness of the FSA’s work and discussing key issues affecting food safety and consumer protection in Wales.

• We enjoyed another successful year at the National Eisteddfod, using our stand to engage directly with the public on key food safety issues in a culturally relevant and accessible way. Through a range of interactive activities and conversations, colleagues and volunteers promoted awareness of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, safe food handling and wider FSA work, helping to strengthen public understanding of our role and our commitment to Wales and the Welsh language. The stand also provided valuable opportunities to engage with stakeholders and demonstrate the FSA’s visibility at one of Wales’ most significant cultural events.

• The summer period has also provided an opportunity to reinforce key food safety and hygiene messages through our ‘Stop, Think, Serve’ consumer campaign. Throughout the summer, we used the campaign to promote advice on safe BBQ, picnic and eating outdoor practices, helping consumers enjoy warmer weather safely. This included a programme of paid social media advertising; we’re awaiting the full evaluation of those adverts. Additionally, in response to summer heatwaves and weather warnings, we have more recently used our social media channels to reinforce food safety advice, reminding consumers to handle, store and prepare food safely in warmer weather. We amplified messages on Facebook and Instagram and supported relevant public health communications from Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government.

4. Taking a forward look

Much of the work outlined in this report will continue over the coming months. Alongside this, the team will maintain momentum on the following projects and workstreams, ensuring that Wales remains well positioned to influence, deliver and support key priorities.

In the Policy sphere, following the agreement by the Board in September, we will seek agreement from Welsh Ministers to adopt the revised model for meat charging discounts and will continue our engagement with Welsh stakeholders on meat charging work.

In terms of both our Policy and Delivery work, we have had confirmation from the EU auditors that they are happy with the UK’s response to the Live Bivalve Molluscs (LBM) audit which took place in September 2025. The team, along with colleagues in England and Northern Ireland, will now progress the agreed recommendations alongside the SPS negotiations.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders in Wales as we move to the next phase of the Future of Food Regulation programme, as agreed at FSA Board on 16 September, with the steer to provide LAs with the tools they need to improve registration. The plans to be designed in further detail are highlighted in the bilingual news story published following the Board meeting.

On the Strategy front, we will use the coming months to agree how best to align our work with Welsh Government’s developing plans for a National Food Strategy in Wales, ensuring that the FSA’s expertise, evidence and consumer protection remit can make a meaningful contribution as this important agenda progresses. We will also continue preparations for our Senedd event on 1 December, which will provide an annual platform to engage directly with key stakeholders, showcase the breadth of the FSA’s work in Wales and strengthen the relationships that help us deliver our priorities.