Food Law | UK Regulatory Outlook April 2025

New regulations signal next step for precision bred plants in England 

As reported last month, the draft Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 that will implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for precision bred plants in England have been published. Our recent Insight further explores the changes being introduced.  

FSA announces £1.4 million funding for launch of new innovation hub 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has received £1.4 million from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology to establish a new innovation hub. This initiative, part of the Regulatory Innovation Office's mission, aims to foster a pro-innovation regulatory environment. The hub will focus on developing expertise in regulating precision fermented foods, ensuring these products are safe for consumption before reaching the market. 

The funding will support the FSA in implementing the government's action plan, enhancing its ability to regulate cutting-edge technologies. Precision fermentation, an advanced form of traditional fermentation, creates specific ingredients like proteins, sugars, and fats. The hub will safeguard consumers and provide clear regulatory guidelines for innovators and investors. It will integrate the FSA’s work on novel foods and genetic technology, alongside a sandbox for cell-cultivated products. Key goals include boosting scientific capacity, offering regulatory clarity, and supporting wider food innovation. Read more. 

Welsh regulations restricting promotion of HFSS products by location and price come into effect 

The Food (Promotion and Presentation) (Wales) Regulations 2025 came into force on 26 March 2025.  The new regulations prohibit certain businesses from offering certain price promotions on less healthy food and from presenting such food in certain locations in bricks and mortar stores (such as shop entrances, aisle ends and checkouts), as well as in certain locations of an online marketplace. The regulations also ban free refill promotions on sugary drinks. 

Food authorities in Wales can serve an improvement notice on anyone not complying with the restrictions and it is an offence not to comply with an improvement notice, the penalty for which is a fixed fine of £2,500. 

HFSS: government clarifies how advertising restrictions will apply to brand advertising  

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