Respond to a poor food hygiene rating in Wales
- 1 step
UK Act of Parliament
1999
United Kingdom
Food Standards Act 1999
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
13 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide · 3 journeys · 15 statutory instruments
Penalty landscape
2 of 13 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 1 carries different penalties and 10 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Any Person 3
Plus 10 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Step-by-step journeys using this legislation
Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Mentioned in related content
1 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 169 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 144 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 101 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 95 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
Browse 98 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Constitution etc. of the Agency
Advisory committees
Accounts and audit
The Agency is a body corporate.
The validity of any proceedings of the Agency is not...
A document purporting to be— (a) duly executed under the...
(1) Anything authorised or required to be done by the...
(1) A person appointed as chairman or deputy chairman or...
(1) The person holding office as chairman or deputy chairman—...
A person may be removed from office as chairman, deputy...
(1) The Agency shall pay its members such remuneration, and...
If, when a person ceases to hold office as a...
(1) In Part II of Schedule 1 to the House...
(1) The Agency may, with the approval of the Minister...
(1) The Agency may regulate its own procedure (including quorum)...
(1) This paragraph applies to any advisory committee established under...
(1) This paragraph applies to a committee established under section...
(1) The members of a committee established under section 5(3)...
The Agency may, after consulting the appropriate authorities, abolish a...
The Agency may pay to the members of an advisory...
Any expenditure incurred by an advisory committee established under section...
(1) The Secretary of State or the Minister of Agriculture,...
(1) Without prejudice to the generality of section 21, the...
The Agency’s functions under other enactments
This Part has effect for conferring functions under the 1990...
The Agency— (a) may be directed to discharge duties of...
(1) The Agency may, after consulting the Department of Health...
The Agency may exercise the power to require returns or...
The Agency may be empowered by an order under Article...
The Agency may undertake consultation with representative organisations required by...
(1) The Medicines Act 1968 shall be amended as follows....
(1) The Agency shall have the following functions under the...
In section 108(7) and section 111(7) of the Environmental Protection...
For section 126 of that Act (exercise of certain functions...
In Article 5(7) and Article 8(7) of the Genetically Modified...
The Agency— (a) may be directed to discharge duties of...
(1) For Article 22 of that Order (exercise of certain...
The Agency shall have the right to be consulted in...
The Agency may grant consent under subsection (3), and give...
(1) The Agency may, after consulting the Secretary of State—...
The Agency may exercise the power to require returns or...
The Agency may be empowered by an order under section...
The Agency may undertake consultation with representative organisations required by...
This Part has effect for conferring functions under the 1991...
The Agency may grant consent under paragraph (3), and give...
For the purposes of this Schedule— “relevant authorities” means the...
(1) Where any resource accounts of the Agency or report...
(1) The Agency shall prepare separate accounts for each year...
(1) The Agency shall prepare consolidated accounts for each financial...
(1) Any functions of the Treasury under section 7 of...
(1) The power of the Comptroller and Auditor General to...
Minor and consequential amendments
In section 1(4) of the Agricultural Returns Act (Northern Ireland)...
(1) Section 6 (enforcement) shall be amended as follows.
(1) Section 13 (emergency control orders) shall be amended as...
In section 17 (enforcement of EU provisions)—
In section 18(2) (special provisions for particular foods) for the...
In section 19(2) (registration and licensing of food premises), for...
Section 25 (orders for facilitating the exercise of functions) shall...
After section 36 (offences by bodies corporate) there shall be...
(1) Section 40 (codes of practice for food authorities) shall...
In section 41 (power to require returns and other information...
In section 42 (default powers), in subsection (1), after the...
In the proviso to section 80 of the Agriculture Act...
In section 45(1) (power to impose charges for things done...
In section 48 (regulations and orders), after subsection (4) there...
(1) Section 57(1) (application of Act to Isles of Scilly...
After paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 (provisions which may be...
In paragraph 7(2) of Schedule 1 (provisions which may be...
(1) Paragraph 7 of Schedule 4 (saving from repeal of...
The Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 shall be amended...
In the following provisions— Article 8(8) Article 11(10) Article 12(1)...
In the following provisions— Article 8(7) and (9)(b) Article 10(5)...
In Article 2(2) (interpretation)— (a) in the definition of “authorised...
In Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (departments...
(1) Article 12 (emergency control orders) shall be amended as...
Article 24 (orders for facilitating the exercise of functions) shall...
In Article 25 (regulations and orders: supplementary provisions), in paragraph...
(1) Article 26 (enforcement) shall be amended as follows.
In Article 27 (appointment of public and other analysts), paragraph...
(1) Article 31 (analysis, etc. of samples by authorised officer...
(1) Article 39 (codes of practice) shall be amended as...
In Article 40 (power to require returns), after the word...
In Article 41 (default powers), in paragraph (1), after the...
In Article 44 (power to impose charges for things done...
(1) Section 38 of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 (orders)...
In Article 47 (regulations and orders), after paragraph (3) there...
(1) Schedule 1 (provisions which may be included in regulations...
(1) Paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 (saving from repeal of...
(1) The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 shall be amended as...
(1) Section 42 of the Environment Act 1995 (approval of...
In Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 1998...
In section 3(2) of the Agricultural Statistics Act 1979 (exceptions...
(1) The Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 shall be...
The Food Safety Act 1990 shall be amended as follows....
In the following provisions— section 1(2) and (3) section 2(1)...
In section 5(1), after paragraph (c) there shall be inserted—...
Repeals
Appointment of members etc.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State and devolved authorities must appoint Food Standards Agency members Crown / Minister / Government department
Appointment of chief executive and directors.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA and Ministers must appoint a Chief Executive and Directors Statutory regulator
Annual and other reports.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must publish and present annual reports on performance Statutory regulator
Development of food policy and provision of advice, etc. to public authorities.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must develop food safety policies and advise public authorities Statutory regulator
Provision of advice, information and assistance to other persons.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must provide food safety advice and assistance to the public and businesses Statutory regulator
Acquisition and review of information.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must collect and review information on food safety and consumer interests Statutory regulator
Power of entry for persons carrying out observations.
Unlimited fine- Obstructing food safety inspections or providing false information Any Person
Monitoring of enforcement action.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must monitor and report on food law enforcement performance Statutory regulator
Power of entry for persons monitoring enforcement action.
Unlimited fine- Unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets Any Person
Statement of general objectives and practices.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA must publish its objectives and consultation practices Statutory regulator
Obstruction of food crime officers
3 months imprisonment- Obstructing or misleading a food crime officer Any Person
Arrangements for sharing information about food-borne zoonoses.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- FSA and Ministers must share information on food-borne diseases Statutory regulator
Consultation on veterinary products.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must consult the Food Standards Agency on veterinary policy Crown / Minister / Government department
Browse 31 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
The Food Standards Agency.
Advisory committees.
General functions in relation to animal feedingstuffs.
Power to carry out observations.
Power to request information relating to enforcement action.
Meaning of “enforcement authority” and related expressions.
Offences relating to sections 13 and 14.
Delegation of powers to make emergency orders.
Functions under other enactments.
Publication etc. by the Agency of advice and information.
Power to issue guidance on control of food-borne diseases.
Supplementary powers.
Consideration of objectives, risks, costs and benefits, etc.
Directions relating to breach of duty or to international obligations.
Power to modify enactments about disclosure of information.
Statutory functions ceasing to be exercisable by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
Notification of tests for food-borne disease.
Animal feedingstuffs: Great Britain.
Animal feedingstuffs: Northern Ireland.
Modification of certain provisions of this Act.
Consequences of Agency losing certain functions.
Duty to take account of functions of the Food Safety Promotion Board.
Devolution in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Interpretation.
Subordinate legislation.
Crown application.
Financial provisions.
Minor and consequential amendments and repeals.
Transfer of property, rights and liabilities to the Agency.
Power to make transitional provision etc.
Short title, commencement and extent.
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
FSA
PrimaryFood Standards Agency
Food safety and hygiene regulation across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Enforces food law, provides guidance to food businesses, investigates incidents. Approves …
Food safety and standards in Scotland. Independent public body with similar remit to FSA but for Scotland specifically. Administers Food Hygiene Information …
Connected legislation
15 statutory instruments
These instruments amend, apply, or refer to this Act. They may not all create direct business obligations.
Secondary legislation (15)
- Food Standards Act 1999 (Transitional and Consequential Provisions and Savings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 2000
- Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 2000
- The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 2010
- The Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Amendment) (Revocation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 2020
- The Fish Labelling (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 2014
- The Food Hygiene (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 2014
- The Food Information (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 2020
- The Food Information (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 2016
- The Food Information (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 2020
- The Food Standards Act 1999 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2000 2000
- The Food Standards Act 1999 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2000 2000
- The Food Supplements (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 2007
- The Food Supplements and the Addition of Vitamins, Minerals and Other Substances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 2009
- The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 2008
- The Spreadable Fats (Marketing Standards) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 2007
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Regulators
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