News
Food hygiene is now easier to spot in Wales, says FSA
A second Food Hygiene Rating Scheme advertising campaign has started in Wales to publicise the scheme with users and owners of food businesses.
Organisation
Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is an independent UK government department set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food.
Vital statistics
- Headquarters: London, UK
- Founded: 1997
- Website: http://www.food.gov.uk/
Recent stories
News
Outbreak of Salmonella Newport infection in UK, FSA warns
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been notified by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of an outbreak of a strain of Salmonella Newport infection that is known to have affected more than 30 people.
News
FSA publishes priorities on science and evidence
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published its *Forward Evidence Plan for 2012.*
News
Asda recalls layered prawn salad
Asda is withdrawing one date code of its layered prawn salad because it’s labelled incorrectly.
News
Update to new food business operator approval process
Food businesses approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that change food business operator (FBO) after 31 January will need a new approval.
Report
Food hygiene is a concern when eating out, says FSA
The agency’s latest public attitudes tracker shows that the main food safety issue people continue to be concerned about is food hygiene when eating out.
News
‘Cause for concern’ list published by the FSA
The FSA is routinely publishing the full list of those meat plants that, on the basis of their audit reports, are considered ’cause for concern’.
News
FSA publishes meat plants audit reports
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has started the regular publication of audit reports of approved meat plants in England, Scotland and Wales.
News
FSA launches Food Safety and Hygiene course for schools
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales will be making available an e-learning course ‘Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene (Catering)’ to schools in Wales.
News
Advice from the FSA on new gluten labelling law
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced a fact sheet to help people who have an intolerance to gluten (a protein found in cereals) understand a new food labelling law, which came into force on 1
News
Waitrose withdraws salmon and dill fishcakes
Waitrose is withdrawing its own brand Essential Salmon and Dill Fishcakes because of incorrect allergy labelling.
News
Makro recalls meat due to listeria contamination
Makro is recalling certain batches of tapas meat products because some are contaminated with listeria.
News
FSA awards new contracts for shellfish monitoring
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has awarded contracts for services to support the official control shellfish monitoring programme in Scotland.
News
FSA food business operator approval deadline approaches
Food businesses approved by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being urged to contact the agency if they have changed operator since 1 January 2006.
News
FDA restricts use of antibiotics in livestock
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed their decision to restrict the use of a certain class of antibiotics in cattle, pigs, chicken, and turkeys, reported in the *New York Times.*
News
FSA update on colours associated with hyperactivity
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children.
News
Report says companies ‘shamelessly mislead’ consumers
The Children’s Food Campaign and the British Heart Foundation have revealed what they claim are the manipulative tactics used by junk food manufacturers to hook children while they play online.
News
Wales is failing to display food hygiene ratings, says FSA
Research published by FSA shows that in Wales only 6% of food businesses audited with a low rating of 0, 1 or 2 under the Food Hygiene Rating scheme are displaying the ratings in their premises.
News
New EU food labelling regulation published
The new Food Information Regulation (FIR), designed to make food labelling easier to understand for consumers, has been published by the European Union.
News
Northern Ireland caterers to start displaying calories
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland is launching a pilot scheme encouraging local food businesses to display calorie information where food is sold, such as in restaurants and cafés.
News
Research finds improved hygiene measures on poultry farms
A report published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) highlights improvements in hygiene on poultry farms in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
News
Northern Ireland FSA vegetable washing campaign launched
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has launched its first stage of the agency’s campaign to remind people to wash raw vegetables to help minimise the risk of food poisoning.
News
Food poisoning risk from chicken livers
New figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that 90% of campylobacter outbreaks at catering venues in the UK were linked to undercooked chicken liver pâté.
Report
New FSA research identifies norovirus levels in oysters
Research published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) shows that a significant proportion (76%) of oysters tested from UK oyster growing beds contained norovirus.
News
Reminder on avoiding foodborne botulism from the FSA
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is reiterating its advice on the safe storage and use of food, after Clostridium botulinum was found in a single jar of ready-prepared sauce.
News
Tesco recalls batch of frozen food
Tesco is recalling one batch of its frozen Tesco Finest Banoffee Tart because of a packaging error.
News
Compass cuts salt by almost eight tonnes a year
Compass reduces the contents of its salt sachets by 25% to help customers maintain a balanced diet.
News
FSA warns people not to drink ‘Drop Vodka’
The Food Standards Agency is warning consumers not to drink an illegal brand of vodka called Drop Vodka, which has been found on sale in some shops.
News
Vegetables are best served washed, says FSA
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a new campaign reminding people to wash raw vegetables to help minimise the risk of food poisoning.
News
Update on the Loyd Grossman Korma sauce recall
Investigations continue into the cause of the contamination with Clostridium botulinum of a single jar of Loyd Grossman’s Korma sauce.
News
British Sandwich Association adopts rating scheme
The British Sandwich Association (BSA) has become the first trade association to use the Food Standards Agency’s national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) to set standards for its members.
News
Views needed on lifting of post-Chernobyl farm restrictions
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is launching a consultation to seek views about whether to remove all post-Chernobyl controls and associated regulation on sheep farms in the UK.
News
New food additive regulations increase consumer protection
Regulations published by the EC on 12 November should make it easier for food and drink manufacturers and enforcement officers to understand in which foods, and at what levels, additives can be used.
News
FSA botulism warning on jars of Loyd Grossman Korma sauce
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is advising people not to consume specific jars of Loyd Grossman Korma sauce. This is because of the risk of botulism poisoning.
News
FSA calls for food safety research
The FSA is inviting researchers to tender for two projects. One to develop a tool to identify good and bad aspects of the culture towards food safety in businesses.
News
72 month old cow enters food supply without BSE test
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been notified that meat has entered the food supply from a cow aged over 72 months that had not been tested for BSE.
News
Olives withdrawn in new botulism case
A batch of olives produced in Italy has been withdrawn from sale in the UK after two people in Helsinki, Finland, were reportedly diagnosed with botulism.
News
FSA calls for research on enforcement guidance
The FSA is inviting researchers to tender for the development of guidance on risk-based food sampling for enforcement officers.
News
Mars Food recalls Dolmio PastaVita
Mars Food is recalling some date codes of its Dolmio PastaVita products, as they may have been insufficiently heated when they were manufactured.
News
Update on E. coli O104 outbreaks
The European Commission has amended the list of certain seeds, sprouted seeds, and beans prohibited from import to the European Union from Egypt.
Report
Analysis of Scottish food sampling published
The majority of foods sampled for microbiological and chemical analysis by Scottish local authorities in 2010 were satisfactory, according to a report of data held on the UK Food Surveillance System.
News
Tesco recalls own-brand coffee and walnut cake
Tesco is recalling some date codes of its own-brand coffee and walnut cake. Pecans have accidentally been included in the cake, and are not mentioned in the ingredients list.
News
Update on products free of colours linked to hyperactivity
The FSA has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children.
News
DWF responds to FSA’s food date labelling publication
Paul Atwood, partner of DWF’s food group, has commented on the FSA’s and Defra’s decision to publish guidance relating to food date labelling.
News
FSA launches guidance on removing food colours
The Food Standards Agency has published guidance to help food businesses remove from their products certain food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children.
News
FSA publishes guidance to end confusing date labels
The Food Standards Agency and Defra have published new guidance to help the food industry decide whether their products require a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date.
News
FSA issues warning on botulism outbreak in France
The Food Standards Agency is warning people not to consume certain branded foods that have been linked to an outbreak of botulism in France.
Report
FSA publishes final report on meat controls in UK
The FSA is reviewing the existing system of meat inspection in slaughterhouses. The objective is to improve public health protection while delivering a risk-based system for official meat controls.
News
New appointments, 6 September 2011
The latest appointments and movements in the food and beverage industry, updated 6 September 2011.
Report
FSA update on impact of meat charging proposals
The Food Standards Agency has published an updated assessment of the impact of its proposals to increase charges for official controls on meat.