Learn how detection, classification and escalation work together to manage food and feed incidents effectively
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) treats any situation where the safety, quality or integrity of food or feed is in doubt as an incident. In practice this means that when information suggests a possible threat to public health, animal health or the authenticity of food products, a structured response begins.
Initial intelligence can come from internal monitoring such as surveillance, horizon scanning and Field Operations, or from specialist units like the National Food Crime Unit. Equally, industry partners, food business operators and members of the public can trigger action via official reporting routes, including the FSA general enquiries helpline 0330 332 7149 and online forms.
Local authorities and public health organisations play a vital role: they must inform the FSA or Food Standards Scotland about national or serious local incidents under the relevant Food Law Code of Practice. International and cross-border alerts also feed into the system through networks such as INFOSAN, IPAFFS, and, since 1 January 2026, limited access to the EU Commission RASFF notifications when the UK is affected.
These multiple inputs ensure that the Incidents Team receives timely, actionable information so that potential risks are identified at an early stage.
How incidents are classified and prioritised
On receiving a notification the FSA treats the matter initially as a possible public or animal health risk until proven otherwise. The first formal step is an Incident Classification Assessment (ICA), which draws together information about possible health impacts, the nature of the hazard and the scale of exposure. The ICA considers factors such as food integrity risk, known incident type, numbers of affected products or batches, distribution reach, and potential political or media interest. This systematic appraisal helps to determine whether normal incident procedures are sufficient or whether the situation requires higher levels of coordination and resource.
What the ICA examines
The ICA uses a set of predefined criteria to gauge severity and impact. Key elements include hazard identification, which looks for biological, chemical, radiological, physical agents or allergens; hazard characterisation, which describes the likely adverse effects; and exposure assessment, which estimates how much of the hazard people or animals might ingest. These components together produce a risk characterisation that informs whether further scientific analysis or immediate action is required. Risk assessment work is co-ordinated with expert teams across government and may be commissioned from the FSA Risk Assessment Unit or relevant agencies.
Risk management and scientific assessment
Risk management is distinct from scientific judgement: it involves weighing policy options to accept, reduce or eliminate the assessed risk and selecting practical measures. The FSA consults stakeholders and other government departments to design proportionate actions that protect health and promote fair trade. Where necessary, a formal scientific risk assessment is compiled to set out the likely health consequences and uncertainties, and to support decisions on recalls, withdrawals or public advice. Coordination with agencies such as APHA, Defra and devolved science teams ensures that assessments reflect cross-sector expertise.
Escalation: moving from routine to strategic response
Not every incident stays at routine level. The FSA uses escalation thresholds to move incidents to non-routine categories — commonly described as serious, severe or major. Escalation is based on combinations of impact triggers, not a single metric. Triggers include sustained media interest, widespread or severe public health impacts, major supply chain disruption, or significant loss of consumer confidence. When an incident meets the required combination of triggers a written problem statement is agreed by senior leaders and the response is scaled up to match the demands of the situation.
Leadership, coordination and international engagement
Who can escalate depends on the nature of the event: incident managers or heads of consumer protection handle food and feed safety escalation, resilience leads manage business continuity, and senior executives consider emergency-level responses. The FSA can act as lead government department for food in central responses described in the Amber Book, or provide specialist input to other departments. For incidents with international reach the UK and International Affairs Directorate coordinates cross-government communication, engaging EU and global partners where required. In extreme cases, the Cabinet Office may decide that a central government forum such as COBR should be convened to direct a full national response.
