henry dimbleby leon

National Food Strategy lead Henry Dimbleby will address the FSA board next week

The Food Standards Agency has called on the government to give it more teeth, as part of its promised National Food Strategy.

The government is carrying out the first independent review of the UK food system in 75 years and the FSA wants the shake-up to include new legislative powers to bolster operations such as its National Food Crime Unit.

The agency warned this week that its lack of law-making powers risked the public losing faith in the new strategy, especially in the event of a serious food safety outbreak.

Leon restaurant founder Henry Dimbleby, who was appointed last year to oversee a consultation over the new strategy, will appear before the FSA board meeting next week. The agency said it would be urging him to put food safety at the heart of the plans, including giving more legislative clout to those enforcing it.

“As a non-ministerial department, the FSA lacks the ability to make its own legislation,” the FSA said. “As a result, the National Food Crime Unit requires access to powers to enable it to fulfil its remit as the only body with the primary aim of disrupting fraudulent behaviour related to food.”

It added: “The National Food Strategy will not be a success if it does anything to jeopardise this, deliberately or as an unintended consequence of making changes elsewhere in the system. Consumers will not buy in to a food system if they don’t trust the food, and a food safety outbreak could have a negative impact on perceptions of UK food.” 

An FSA spokesman told The Grocer: “The FSA has significant interest in this independent review of the food system.

“It is important that food safety is at the heart of this exercise, supported by a stable, resourced and recognised regulatory regime.

“This will form part of discussions between our board members and Henry Dimbleby at the 21 January meeting.”

Dimbleby is due to publish the results of his delayed consultation in March, with the government having pledged to respond with a White Paper within six months of publication, though there are fears the process could slip further because of Brexit.