Prof Susan Jebb reappointed as FSA chair

Prof Susan Jebb has been re-appointed as chair of the  Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK for a further three years, from 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2027.

She was first appointed to the role in 2021 and was due to step down this year, but stayed in the role for a few extra months after the UK government called a general election, at the request of ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own agency – Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Now, with a new administration in place, Jebb has reversing her decision. Alongside her FSA role, Prof Jebb is also professor of diet and population health at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. The FSA role involves a time commitment of 2.5 to 3 days per week and is remunerated at a rate of £70,000 per year ($91,000).

"It remains a huge privilege to be the Chair of such a fantastic organisation, and I am happy to continue as FSA Chair at this important time," she said. "I am extremely grateful to colleagues at the University of Oxford whose support has made this possible."

The FSA is responsible for protecting the public from risks arising from the consumption of food and generally to protect the interests of consumers in relation to food, including measures to combat food crime and food fraud.

In a study published in September, the FSA and FSS concluded that while the risk of food fraud in the UK remains low, there are signs that geopolitical events causing disruptions in the food chain may have contributed to a "changing threat" of food crime, with a sharp increase in illicit imports of grey market goods appearing in retail outlets, notably non-compliant alcohol, confectionery, soft drinks and meat products.