Our approach and the context we work in

This empowers businesses and consumers to do the right thing to keep food safe. We tell the truth about food.

We strive to: 

• Be the trusted voice on food standards in the consumer interest
• Make it easy for businesses to maintain food safety and standards
• Collaborate with the most influential players in the food system to improve food safety and standards
• Optimise data and digital capability internally and externally to strengthen our influence
• Operate transparently and openly

Two green circles, within which is written: "78% of people have heard of the FSA. Of those, 73% trust us to do our job." for the our approach part of FSA 2020 / FSA 20 Prospectus

The context we work in

The UK food sector is made up of:

• 4.1m people employed in the agri-food sector in Q4 2019 (GB)
• £23.6bn worth of food, feed and drink exports in 2019 (UK)
• £234bn is the consumer expenditure on food, drink and catering in 2019 (UK)
• £120.2bn is the agri-food sector contribution to national Gross Value Added in 2018 (UK)

Source: Defra's Food Statistics in your pocket

Green circle with "500,000+ food establishments (2018-19)" in it for the Context We Work In part of the FSA 20 prospectus

The 500,000+ food establishments (2018/2019) in the England, Northern Ireland and Wales consist of:

• 413,000 Restaurants & Caterers 
• 124,000 Retailers 
• 17,000 Manufacturers & Packers 
• 9,000 Distributors/Transporters 
• 4,000 Primary Producers 
• 1,000 Importers/Exporters

Source: Annual report on local authority food law enforcement 2018-2019