Committee publication · Correspondence · 8 July 2025
Correspondence from the Chair of the Food Standards Agency about Our Food 2024, dated 19 June 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
Professor Susan Jebb, FSA Chair, transmits the fourth annual Our Food 2024 report to Parliament, covering food standards data from 2024. The FSA and Food Standards Scotland report that UK food standards have remained stable, but highlight three key risks: one in five households experiencing food insecurity, local authority resource pressures creating inspection backlogs, and ongoing recruitment challenges for Official Veterinarians in the meat sector.
Key findings
- Food standards in the UK have remained stable over the last year, with evidence suggesting food is fundamentally safe and claims-compliant
- One in five households experience food insecurity, struggling to access affordable, nutritious food, hampering progress toward healthier diets
- Local authorities face substantial resource pressures and inspection backlogs for food businesses; food sampling levels have declined, creating particular concern for allergy sufferers
- Official Veterinarian recruitment has improved post-Brexit but supply remains unsustainable for protecting the meat industry
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Professor Susan Jebb, Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Local authorities, UK Parliament
Notable line
“… one in five households are still experiencing food insecurity – that is, they are finding it difficult to access affordable …”
Key Quotes
“The report reviews data from 2024 to consider whether our food is fundamentally safe and what it claims to be, with a view to protecting the consumer interest.”
“The good news is that the evidence suggests that food standards in the UK have remained stable over the last year.”
“Local authorities are continuing to struggle with resource pressures, with many facing substantial inspection backlogs for food businesses.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗