Food Standards Agency
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Food Standards Agency firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food Standards Agency
- Legal name
- Food Standards Agency
- Website
- https://food.gov.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food Standards Agency industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Safety Regulation
- NAICS
- Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (926140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Standards, Labeling & Claims Regulation (HLAJAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food Safety Inspection & Enforcement (HLAJAEAA), Food Industry Licensing, Registration & Compliance Audits (HLAJAEAG), Food Contact Materials & Packaging Safety Regulation (HLAJAEAM)
Keywords
Where Food Standards Agency is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food Standards Agency business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Food Standards Agency product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Food Standards Agency is the independent UK government regulator responsible for food safety and food hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It delivers a portfolio of services including the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, the Food Alerts and Recalls System, food business registration and approval, regulated products authorisation (novel foods, additives, food contact materials), scientific research on food safety risks, and the National Food Crime Unit for investigating food fraud.
Product overview
The Food Standards Agency operates as a non-ministerial UK government department responsible for food safety and food hygiene across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Rather than a single product, the FSA delivers a portfolio of interconnected services: the Food Hygiene Ratings Service for consumer-facing business ratings; Food Alerts and Recalls System for product safety notifications; Business Guidance Services for industry compliance; Science and Evidence Research for food safety research; National Food Crime Unit for investigating food fraud; Regulated Products Authorization for novel food approvals; and General Enquiry Services for public engagement. These services collectively support food system resilience, consumer protection, and regulatory compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Food Hygiene Ratings Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 14% increase in food safety incidents managed in 2025/26 compared to previous year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Food Standards Agency
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Food Standards Agency technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature1 record
Food Standards Agency partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Food Standards Scotland (FSS)coreReleased joint report identifying eight emerging food technology areas including vertical farming, precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, and edible insects expected to reach UK consumers by 2035.
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)coreCollaborates on food safety incident monitoring, cereulide toxin poisoning investigations from baby formula contamination, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance in foodborne pathogens.
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)majorJointly funded the UK Food Safety Research Network (FSRN) with £650,000 over three years to research emerging food safety risks including novel proteins and climate change impacts.
- Food Standards Scotland (FSS)coreJoint publication of the Incidents & Resilience Annual Report and collaborative work on emerging food technologies including the March 2026 joint report on future foods expected to reach UK consumers by 2035.
- University of OxfordcoreCollaborated on UK-wide genomics study investigating Campylobacter in chicken meat and antimicrobial resistance patterns, with researchers from multiple institutions including Moredun Institute and Quadram Institute.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Food Standards Agency competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Food Standards Scotland: Scotland's independent food standards body with the same statutory regulatory mandate as the FSA for food safety, labelling, and standards - effectively a jurisdictional twin already collaborating via joint reports and shared incident response.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): EU-level food safety risk assessment agency that FSA works in alignment with for cross-border food safety, novel food authorizations, and scientific opinions - the supranational peer for regulatory framework parity post-Brexit.
- Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS): US federal agency responsible for inspecting meat, poultry, and egg products - functionally comparable in mandate for food safety inspection and enforcement, currently engaged via the chlorinated chicken trade review.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): Binational government agency setting food standards for Australia and New Zealand - directly comparable statutory authority for developing food standards, codes of practice, and labelling requirements.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI): Ireland's statutory food safety regulator with an almost identical mandate and operational model - enforces food law, manages alerts, and coordinates with local enforcement partners.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA): Canadian federal agency responsible for food safety inspection, consumer protection, and plant/animal health - comparable role enforcing food safety standards across federal jurisdictions.
Broad incumbents
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): US federal regulator covering food safety alongside drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics - a broader incumbent whose food safety division (CFSAN) handles comparable labelling, recalls, and standards oversight.
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA): UK public health body already collaborating with FSA on foodborne illness surveillance and antimicrobial resistance - adjacent health regulator with overlapping incident response mandate.
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra): UK ministerial department with overlapping food/agriculture policy responsibilities - jointly administers the Precision Breeding Regulations with FSA and sets broader food and farming policy.
Regional players
- German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL): Germany's federal food safety coordination agency and risk manager - functionally similar to FSA with comparable statutory authority over food safety, plant protection products, and consumer goods.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Food Standards Agency social profiles
Digital presenceFood Standards Agency financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food Standards Agency leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Food Standards Agency funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food Standards Agency M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food Standards Agency
What does Food Standards Agency do?
The Food Standards Agency is the independent UK government regulator responsible for food safety and food hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It delivers a portfolio of services including the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, the Food Alerts and Recalls System, food business registration and approval, regulated products authorisation (novel foods, additives, food contact materials), scientific research on food safety risks, and the National Food Crime Unit for investigating food fraud.
Is Food Standards Agency a public or private company?
Food Standards Agency is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Food Standards Agency founded?
Food Standards Agency was founded in 2000. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Food Standards Agency based?
Food Standards Agency is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Food Standards Agency's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Food Standards Scotland, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Broad incumbents are Food and Drug Administration (FDA), UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) is listed as a regional player.
Does Food Standards Agency have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food Standards Agency.
What industry is Food Standards Agency in?
Food Standards Agency's product category is Food Safety Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJAEAB, Food Standards, Labeling & Claims Regulation, with a secondary code of HLAJAEAA, Food Safety Inspection & Enforcement. Its NAICS code is 926140.