Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - UK - 2020

FSA Board Paper (FSA 20-12-10), 8 December 2020

FOOD FRAUD / ADMINISTRATION - FSA Board Paper: National Food Crime Unit – Annual Update

FSA Board Paper: National Food Crime Unit – Annual Update A copy of this paper is available on this site (click on image) Provided under the Open Government Licence. The original webpage was available at:

The following is the Introduction to the Board Paper. Note that Appendix B contains the Executive Summary and Recommendations of the Internal Review (see full pdf version of the paper):

Introduction

In November 2016 the FSA Board agreed the following key elements of the Kenworthy review should be delivered with regards to the National Food Crime Unit:

• a) Expanded to include investigative capability.
• b) Have as part of its remit, prevention of food crime.
• c) A responsibility for setting standards for investigating food crime.
• d) A responsibility for training staff from partner agencies in food crime awareness and intelligence handling.

Subsequently, in April 2018 the FSA Board directed the following should be progressed through ‘Phase 2’ of the NFCU project, for which the funding was requested from (and subsequently approved by) HM Treasury:

• a) Confirm the legal mandate necessary for investigative capability.
• b) Utilise the CPS to pursue criminal justice disposals.
• c) Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the NFCU, local authorities and Police.
• d) Engagement within Northern Ireland and Wales.
• e) Identify and mitigate risks or conflict between the priorities of the NFCU and the wider FSA.
• f) Establish longer term funding arrangements for the NFCU.

During 2020, the NFCU has continued to develop its capacity and capability as a law enforcement organisation, achieving full operating capability in April, while simultaneously delivering operational activity with several notable disruptions of food crime.

An internal review of the NFCU in October, supported and scrutinised by a senior ‘critical friend’ from law enforcement, also assessed the progress of the NFCU. The purpose of the review was to evaluate the progress of the NFCU, including its processes and procedures and the methodology incorporated interviews with staff in the NFCU and wider FSA.