Food safety conference to look at future of food regulation and risks caused by illegally imported meat

An update on the future of food regulation by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the risks caused by illegally imported meat will be among the topics discussed at a food safety conference this week.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Food Safety Conference will see a packed two days of sessions on a range of topics impacting the work of environmental health professionals working in food safety.

Day one will kick off with CIEH Vice President and Professor of Food Safety and founder of the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), Professor Chris Elliott, who will be speaking on what is on the horizon for food safety in the UK.

That will be followed by a session on tackling the risks of illegally imported meat and the spread of diseases like African Swine Fever which will be delivered by Lizzie Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of the National Pig Association (NPA).

Other highlights of the first day of the conference include a talk from CIEH Vice President Professor Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food Policy, Centre for Food Policy, School of Health & Medical Sciences, University of London, on steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap.

There will also be a session on foodborne viruses, focusing on Norovirus, led by Dr Martin D’Agostino from ViroSafety Ltd (more details in our blog here) 

Day two kicks off with an update on the future of regulation, delivered by Nathan Barnhouse, Head of Regulatory Compliance at the FSA. That will be followed by Niall Gallagher from the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) talking about what food safety teams need to know about pest control in 2025.

The event will close with a look at the changing landscape of listeriosis outbreak direction and public health response in the UK, which will be presented by Dr Gauri Godbole, Consultant Medical Microbiologist and Parasitologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Nikki Pearson, Head of Events and Membership Engagement at CIEH, said:

“As the food safety landscape continues to evolve, this year’s CIEH Food Safety Conference comes at a critical time for environmental health professionals across the UK. With pressing issues such as the future of food regulation and the growing threat of illegally imported meat and foodborne viruses on the agenda, the conference offers a vital platform for important insights and discussion.

“We are proud to bring together leading voices from across the sector to explore the challenges and innovations shaping the future of food safety."

The two-day event kicks off on Wednesday (June 9). For the full programme and to book a place visit: https://www.cieh.org/events/2025/july/cieh-food-safety-conference/