Consultation on proposed reforms to the regulated products authorisation process

Who this consultation may be of most interest to: 

• food businesses and industry trade associations with an interest in regulated products
• competent authorities (Local Authorities (LAs) and Port Health Authorities)
• consumers and wider stakeholders

A list of interested parties is included in Annex A of the consultation pack.  

Consultation subject

This joint Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) consultation concerns initial proposals for legislative reform to streamline the authorisation process for regulated products. Regulated products are food and feed products which require authorisation before they can be sold. These include food additives, flavourings, novel foods, GMOs as food and feed, food contact materials and feed additives.

The current authorisation process was inherited from the European Union (EU) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Boards have agreed that significant change will be necessary to achieve a high-quality service that can keep up with the pace of innovation in the food industry. The two proposals contained in this consultation are to:

• remove renewal requirements for feed additives, food or feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and smoke flavourings, and 
• allow regulated product authorisations to come into effect on publication, likely to an official register, following a ministerial decision.

Purpose of consultation 

This consultation seeks stakeholders’ views on the two initial proposals for legislative reform to streamline the authorisation process for regulated products, outlined above and detailed in the consultation pack.  

We are seeking feedback on the proposals and our assessment of the potential impacts detailed in the consultation pack, and any further evidence you may have on additional impacts that we should consider. This is stakeholders’ opportunity to input to the final advice given to ministers.

The FSA and FSS plan to bring forward further proposals for reform and modernisation of the Regulated Products Service. These proposals are a first step. More information about longer-term reform plans will be presented to the FSA and FSS Boards in June 2024 and, if taken forward, will be subject to separate consultation.

Consultation pack

This consultation pack provides the background information and details you will need to know in order to respond to the questions in this consultation. 

Consultation pack on proposed reforms to the regulated products authorisation process (accessible version)

How to respond

Responses to this consultation should be submitted by 5 June 2024 via the online survey.  If this is not possible, you can email a response to: RPconsultations@food.gov.uk

If responding by email, please state in your response whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents) and in which nation you are based.