The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has unveiled its ambitious Strategy for 2025-2029, outlining a comprehensive roadmap aimed at safeguarding consumer health and maintaining trust in Ireland’s food systems. This strategic plan underscores a commitment to protect consumers in Ireland and those enjoying Irish food in over 180 international markets. The five-year Strategy is designed to strengthen Ireland’s food safety regulatory framework, ensuring it is well-equipped to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities posed by global food supply chains, innovative practices, and shifting consumer preferences.
The FSAI’s strategic actions include a thorough evaluation of evidence to guide policy decisions related to a hygiene-rating scheme for food businesses throughout Ireland. The authority has identified the rollout of targeted support initiatives to assist food businesses in compliance and aims to utilize technology platforms more effectively to enhance food safety communications and compliance. The FSAI will actively advocate for food safety and authenticity both nationally and internationally, especially as food systems innovate and transition toward sustainability. Furthermore, the organization is committed to increasing collaboration with European and international partners to bolster its capacity to manage food safety risks more effectively.
Four Strategic Goals:
1. Advocate and Engage: The FSAI will champion the importance of food safety and authenticity in all stakeholder engagements, aiming to enhance consumer health protection and boost compliance. Actions include streamlining communications with food businesses via technology platforms and exploring the evidence regarding a hygiene-based rating system and its potential impact within Ireland’s food control framework.
2. Reduce Risk: The organization will enhance its capabilities to protect consumer health by proactively anticipating, assessing, and managing risks that compromise food safety and authenticity. Key initiatives include establishing a multi-agency agreement for incident management based on recognized best practices and reinforcing risk management capabilities through greater participation with European and international partners.
3. Enforce Food Law: The FSAI commits to ensuring compliance with food laws, taking appropriate actions to safeguard consumers within a national regulatory framework. Priority actions encompass ongoing improvements in official food control systems, fostering cross-agency collaboration with partners across Europe and the globe, and supporting the national food safety inspectorate.
4. Drive Organizational Excellence: To achieve better food safety outcomes for consumers, the FSAI will empower staff, align operational systems, and demonstrate value-driven leadership. This includes maintaining top-tier governance standards and enhancing efficiency through the optimal use of digital technologies.
Dr. Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of FSAI, stated: “Our new Strategy reaffirms our commitment to our vision of safe and trustworthy food for everyone. To realize this, we have developed a strategic roadmap that addresses contemporary challenges and opportunities for food safety and controls in Ireland and beyond. These considerations exist within the context of a rapidly changing global food system influenced by various factors, including the push towards sustainable food systems, the introduction of new food products, and the integration of technology.”
“As an organization, our core objective is to protect consumers’ health and assure ongoing trust in our food systems by ensuring that the food consumed in Ireland, and Irish food globally, is safe. This new five-year Strategy will foster a culture of food safety across all businesses, ultimately improving overall food safety. The Strategy is anchored in actions that are evidence- and data-driven. We will continue overseeing a robust regulatory system that supports the food industry to flourish while prioritizing food safety. Additionally, we will enhance our organizational capabilities and deepen our engagement and collaboration with stakeholders, including our European and international partners. Together, these initiatives will enable us to uphold the highest standards in protecting consumer health and interests.”
