Britain’s biggest food retailers could face greater national scrutiny under new Food Standards Agency plans designed to overhaul the way food safety is regulated.

The FSA board has backed the next stage of proposals that would see a small number of the country’s largest food businesses subject to national oversight, while local authorities continue to regulate the vast majority of operators in their communities.

The watchdog said the changes were intended to give regulators a clearer view of risks across major retailers’ extensive supply chains, using more data and intelligence alongside existing inspections on the ground.

It follows a trial with retailers which the FSA said demonstrated that national-level analysis of company data could help identify systemic food safety risks. The government asked the agency in the Autumn 2025 Budget to develop a national regulatory model for large food businesses in England, initially focusing on major retailers.

The proposals also include changes to the way food businesses register, giving regulators a clearer picture of companies operating across the sector and allowing enforcement teams to focus more closely on higher-risk businesses.

The FSA is also considering stronger enforcement powers for local food teams and clearer guidance aimed at creating a more consistent approach to regulation.

Food hygiene ratings would become more prominent under the plans, with the FSA proposing to make it compulsory for businesses to display ratings online across the UK and in shops and restaurants in England.

FSA chair Professor Susan Jebb said the existing food safety system had “served us well for many years” but needed to adapt to major changes in how food is produced, sold and bought.

She said local authority food teams would remain central to the system, while national scrutiny of a small number of major businesses could provide additional protection for consumers.

The FSA said more than 99.5 per cent of food businesses are micro, small or medium-sized, while more than 97 per cent of food sold through shops is handled by 10 national retailers, highlighting the scale and influence of the country’s largest grocers.

The agency will now work with local authorities, food businesses and other industry partners through a technical advisory committee to develop the plans in greater detail.

A fuller package of proposals is expected to return to the FSA board in March 2027, before a public consultation later that year. Ministers will ultimately decide whether the reforms go ahead.

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