At its quarterly Board meeting on 20 June 2018, the FSA discussed EU Exit, the Mid-Point Review of the Regulating Our Future (ROF) Programme, an interim update on the Cutting Plants and Cold Stores Review, the controls on Raw Drinking Milk (RDM), a decision to now implement Phase 2 of the National Food Crime Unit (NCFU), and the FSA’s International Strategy.
In terms of EU Exit, the discussion focused on arrangements for future risk management decision. The Board concluded that public health, consumer trust, and business confidence would be best achieved by a mechanism which sees a little change as possible from the current, tried and tested arrangements. They wish to see the majority of risk management decisions being taken by the FSA, and more significant, higher profile or wider policy matters with a food safety component should be decisions for Ministers, on the basis of independent, science and evidence-based advice from the FSA.
In response to the Mid-Point Programme Report on Regulating Our Future (ROF), the Board welcomed the progress being made to transform the way food businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are regulated. They confirmed the component parts of the model that need to be in place in advance of the UK leaving the EU, and endorsed implementation of the remaining elements required to complete the regulatory transformation following the EU Exit.
In addition, the Board received an update on the action taken so far as part of the Cutting Plants and Cold Stores Review; considered the adequacy on Raw Drinking Milk (RDM).