FSA revises Food Law Code of Practice

The updated Code introduces a new model for delivering food standards controls in Northern Ireland

Food standards controls are the checks carried out by local authorities (district councils in Northern Ireland) to make sure food produced and sold by food businesses is safe and what it says it is.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made changes to the Food Law Code of Practice to help local councils take a more risk-based and intelligence-driven approach to inspection, focusing their time and resources on food businesses that pose the greatest risk to consumers.

This approach will increase the use of critical thinking to inform understanding of risk in the food chain, helping to ensure that action is taken at the right stage of the supply chain. For example, one intervention could be executed at the single point of manufacture or import rather than multiple interventions at a range of retail outlets.

The new model will drive more frequent checks on non-compliant businesses, while reducing the checks on businesses that can demonstrate good levels of sustained compliance.

Local councils will gain greater flexibility to check compliance in different ways, such as through remote checks where appropriate.

The FSA will provide guidance and training on the use and implementation of the new model in advance of the phased roll out beginning in summer 2023.

Find the revised Food Law Code of Practice for Northern Ireland.

The revised Code was published following a 12-week consultation that ended in January 2023. You can now read the summary of responses to the Northern Ireland consultation.

First published 12 June 2023