National Food Crime Unit

Consumers should have confidence that their food is safe and what it says it is.

The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is a dedicated law enforcement function of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The unit provides leadership on food crime across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The unit works closely with the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit within Food Standards Scotland.

The NFCU was established in 2015 following a review of the 2013 horse meat incident. The NFCU is tasked with protecting consumers and the food industry from food crime within food supply chains.

We define food crime as serious fraud and related criminality in food supply chains. This definition also includes activity impacting on drink and animal feed. The NFCU response is determined by assessing the gravity of the fraud. This will include considerations of the degree of planning and co-ordination in committing it, the impact of the fraud across geographical regions and boundaries, and the financial loss and other harm to the public and industry.

Examples of food crime include the use of stolen food in the supply chain, unlawful slaughter, diversion of unsafe food, adulteration, substitution or misrepresentation of food, and document fraud.

National Food Crime Unit objectives

The strategic objectives of the NFCU are to:

• prevent food being rendered unsafe or inauthentic through dishonesty
• disrupt offending and bring offenders to justice
• build global and domestic counter food crime capability

The NFCU plays an important role in multi-sector engagement at national and international levels. It works closely with the food industry to ensure that businesses are well-informed and prepared to counter food crime. The Unit aims to create a hostile environment for those engaging in food crime by investigating suspected offenders or otherwise supporting partners in their lawful efforts to similarly disrupt those criminals.

National Food Crime Unit responses

The development and analysis of intelligence and information from a range of sources enables the Unit to prepare detailed strategic assessments that will identify threats, risks and vulnerabilities.

The unit works with industry to raise their awareness and test their response systems to food crime develops their resilience to the benefit of the food business and the public.

Control Strategy

The NFCU Control Strategy outlines the Unit’s current food crime priorities, on which we focus our efforts to prevent food crime, deter and disrupt food criminals and bring offenders to justice.

Informed by an intelligence-led review to maintain our situational awareness of the food crime landscape, we will focus on the following priority areas until March 2026:

• misrepresentation of lamb, beef, poultry and dairy with regards to origin
• misrepresentation of lamb, beef and poultry with regards to status (including stolen livestock or meat considered unfit for the food chain)
• adulteration and substitution of lamb, beef, poultry and dairy products
• waste diversion including ABP handling within red meat, poultry, dairy & feed supply chains
• specific supply chains presenting high levels of authenticity risk to the UK.

National Food Crime Unit Industry Newsletter

Our Industry Newsletter aims to:

• highlight the key risks and issues that may be having an impact on the food industry
• share best practice in order to strengthen the industry’s response to food crime
• highlight the ongoing work of the NFCU

If you work in the food industry, please have a read of a recent edition and sign up to the National Food Crime Unit Industry Newsletter.

Reporting food crime

Members of the public and those working in the food and drink sector can speak up about food crime through Food Crime Confidential.

Anyone with suspicions of food crime can report it safely and confidentially to the NFCU. You can report a food crime online or by freephone on 0800 028 1180. For non UK mobiles or calls from overseas please use 0207 276 8787.