Regulatory approach

Food Regulations

The Food Standards Agency has a statutory objective to protect public health and consumers' other interests in relation to food and drink. However, we are aware that excessive or unclear regulations can place a burden on business, the public sector and civil society groups (such voluntary groups, charities and not for profit organisations) and so hinder effective delivery of the intended benefits.

We implement regulations using our Framework for Policy Making, which sets out the factors the FSA considers when deciding on regulatory intervention and the different options available. We continually evaluate our performance against this framework – more details can be found below.

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Reducing Regulation Programme

The FSA reducing regulation programme is about making regulations easier for business, the public sector and civil society groups to understand and comply with without compromising public health. The Government has set out its approach to reducing regulation in its publication 'Reducing Regulation Made Simple'. We recognise the importance of this agenda and, in October 2010, the FSA Board agreed to participate in the One-in One-out initiative (replaced by One-In, Two-Out from January 2013), and in January 2011 to sunsetting of FSA legislation.

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Statement of New Regulation

Every six months, the Food Standards Agency publishes a list of all new domestic regulations including those implementing European measures during the six month period of the statement. It also reports on the FSA's overall One-in, Two-out position and legislation being changed or revoked resulting from the FSA's Red Tape Challenge initiatives.

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Framework for Policy Making in the FSA

The FSA’s Framework for Policy Making in the FSA, which we originally published in December 2006, has been revised for a second time in line with feedback from FSA policy makers and respondents to a public consultation. We are grateful to everyone who gave us feedback.

In future, we will review the document if we need to make any substantive amendments. If you have any queries about the framework, please contact:

Judith Taylor
Better Regulation and Sustainability Team
Legal, International, Regulation and Audit Group
Food Standards Agency, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH

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Regulators' Compliance Code

The Government's Statutory Code of Practice for Regulators (the Regulators’ Compliance Code) came into force in England on 6 April 2008. The Code seeks to embed a risk-based, proportionate, targeted approach to regulatory inspection and enforcement. In May 2012, the FSA published an updated Statement of Compliance that we believe reflects how we comply with the Code.

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Red Tape Challenge

On 7 April 2011, the Government launched the Red Tape Challenge website to get comments from business and the public on the stock of legislation. The aim of the Red Tape Challenge is to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses by reducing the number of statutory rules and regulations in force. The Red Tape Challenge website can be found via the link below.

On 6 May 2011, most of the FSA’s legislation was published on the Red Tape Challenge website and remained there until 2 June 2011.

The FSA has a number of initiatives being delivered under the Red Tape Challenge, which can be found in the 'Red Tape Challenge initiatives' section below.

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Related Items

  • Better Regulation Advisory Group

    The Better Regulation Advisory Group (BRAG) was set up in 2006 to undertake independent external scrutiny and challenge of the Food Standard Agency's better regulation initiatives.

  • Impact Assessments

    An Impact Assessment (IA) is a policy tool which assesses the impact in terms of costs, benefits and risks of an proposed regulation which could affect business, the public sector and civil society groups.

  • Reviews of FSA guidance and forms

    Details of reviews of FSA guidance and forms.

  • Common commencement dates

    Common Commencement Dates (CCDs) of new or amended regulation were first announced in 2005 and came from a recommendation of the Better Regulation Task Force, requiring Departments and Agencies to consolidate the commencement dates of new or amended regulation to either 6 April or 1 October.

  • Policymaking framework for FSA staff

    This framework is intended to help policymakers at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) consider, at the first moment a policy proposal is suggested, whether there is justification for government – either the EU or the UK – to intervene. This document aims to prompt due consideration of whether intervention is required and, if so, what sort of intervention it should be.

  • Red Tape Challenge initiatives

    The aim of the Government’s Red Tape Challenge is to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses by reducing the number of statutory rules and regulations in force. The FSA has a number of initiatives being delivered under the Red Tape Challenge. For devolved issues, such as food safety, the Red Tape Challenge applies to England only.

  • Statement of new regulation

    Every six months, the Food Standards Agency publishes a list of all new domestic regulations being implemented during the six month period of the statement. It also reports on the FSA’s overall One-in, One-out position and legislation being changed or revoked resulting from the FSA’s Red Tape Challenge initiatives.