Food surveys
Surveys help to protect and inform consumers by alerting the Agency to potential food safety issues. Surveys also help to judge the effectiveness of regulation and inform negotiations with the European Commission, monitor trends and assess risks.
The Agency carries out surveys for monitoring, and not for law enforcement. However, the Agency liaises with the enforcement authorities if an urgent food safety problem is found and the survey results are made available to enforcement authorities prior to publication so that appropriate follow up action can be taken.
The Agency normally releases the full details of the food samples analysed in its surveys, including their brand names, together with the results. This ensures that consumers have more information on which to base their choices, surveys are more representative of available brands, analytical procedures are more rigorous and the food industry is more aware of the importance of quality control.
For practical and legal reasons, there will be a small number of well-defined circumstances in which we will not release advice or information. You can find out more about these circumstances in paragraph 2.7 of our policy on openness.
The Agency carries out surveys in the following areas:
- chemical contaminants in food
- chemical contaminants from food contact materials
- food additives
- food authenticity
- nutrients in food
- radionuclides in food
- microbiological contamination of food
- dietary surveys
Index of FSA Surveys
To help you easily locate and identify the FSA food surveys that have already been published on this website and that are of interest to you, we have provided a FSA food survey index table. The table contains key information on the surveys from 2000 to present and includes links to the survey individual reports.
You can filter or search the index using the functions available in the Excel version, or via the search function in the pdf version. If you have any questions about using the index please contact the FSA Helpline on 020 7276 8829.
Related links
(Excel 106KB)Find out more
Radiological surveillance
Radioactivity, like any other contaminant of food, needs to be monitored to ensure that food safety is not compromised and consumers are adequately protected.
Pesticide surveillance
The Pesticide Residues Committee provides independent advice to Ministers and the Chief Executives of the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) and the Food Standards Agency on matters relating to the surveillance programme for pesticides residue in the UK food supply.
Ongoing food surveys
The Agency's work to monitor the safety and quality of food includes a programme of surveys. Details of ongoing surveys can be found below.
Microbiological surveillance
Foodborne illness is an extremely important aspect of food safety. The FSA aims to achieve further reductions in foodborne disease by 2010 and it can do this through ensuring that all sectors of the food chain control their procedures effectively to prevent harmful microorganisms from contaminating food.
Guidelines for undertaking surveys
The Food Standards Agency collects information from non-statutory food surveys to form part of the science base for the development of food policy.
Food surveys published in 2010
Details of food surveys published in 2010.
Food surveys published in 2009
Details of food surveys published in 2009.
Food surveys published in 2008
All the Food Survey Information Sheets and ad hoc food surveys published in 2008 by the Agency.
Food surveys published in 2007
All the Food Survey Information Sheets and ad hoc food surveys published in 2007 by the Agency.
Food surveys published in 2006
Food Survey Information Sheets and other ad hoc food surveys published by the Agency in 2006.
Food surveys published in 2005
Food Survey Information Sheets and any other ad hoc food surveys published by the Agency in 2005.
Food surveys published in 2004
Food Survey Information Sheets and other ad hoc food surveys published by the Agency in 2004.
Food surveys published in 2003
Food Survey Information Sheets and any ad hoc food surveys published by the Agency in 2003.
Food surveys published in 2002
Food Survey Information Sheets for 2002 and any ad hoc surveys published in that year.
Food surveys published in 2001
Food Survey Information Sheets for 2001 and any ad hoc food surveys published during the year.
Food surveys published in 2000
Food Survey Information Sheets for 2000 and ad hoc food surveys carried out by the Agency. Information Sheets published before 2000 by the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group are available on the National Archives website.