## Performance And Resources Report Q1 2020/21

Food Standards Agency - FSA 20/09/10
Business Committee 23 September 2020

## Contents

| Foreword                                                                           | …………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… 3   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Executive Summary - Food Safety, Consumer Tracker, Prioritisation and Food Sector  | ……. 4-8                                           |
| Incident Response Mobilisation                                                     | ………………………………………………………………………………….. 9               |
| Helping to Keep Industry Working                                                   | ………………………………………………………………..…………….. 10              |
| Relationship With Consumers During COVID-19                                        | ….………………………………………………….…… 11                       |
| Making COVID-19 Food Guidance Available to Businesses                              | ……….……………………..………..… 12                           |
| Engagement With Industry During COVID-19 to Support Food Production / Supply       | ……… 13                                            |
| Communicating With Our Staff                                                       | ………………………………….…………………………………………….…. 14             |
| Incident Response and Local Authority Hub Performance                              | …………..………………………………. 15                            |
| Supporting Our Staff                                                               | ……………………………………………………………………………………….………….  16       |
| Remote Recruitment and Return To Office                                            | ……………………….…………………….……….………….  17                  |
| Finance - Spend vs HM Treasury Limits, Priorities, Key Areas of Spend and COVID-19 | ….   18-21                                        |

## Foreword Colin Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer / Covid-19 Incident Director And Chris Hitchen, Director Of Finance & Performance

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event, greater in scale, than any other incident the Food Standards Agency has dealt with. The FSA's objectives throughout have been to ensure food safety, preserving the high level of consumer protection in the UK whilst supporting industry in maintaining the nation's food supply. We have sought to ensure an effective yet flexible response whilst supporting our own key workers, putting their safety and wellbeing first throughout the outbreak, keeping consumer interests in mind at all times. We developed contingency plans early, have engaged widely with stakeholders and there has been a keen interest in the guidance and advice developed by the Agency. We have also sought to seize opportunities to operate differently, adopting smarter ways of working where possible. Our goal has been to lead the food regulatory landscape as it adapts to the "new normal", rather than reacting to changes as they happen. The FSA has drawn on the extensive expertise and support of our scientific advisory committees to determine that the risk of transmission of COVID- 19 through consumption or handling of food, or handling of packaging, is very low. Throughout the pandemic we have continued to amplify central government guidance to the public on steps to minimise transmission of the virus. We have seen significant movements in demand between food service and retail with a continuing increase in requirement for home delivery of foods via internet shopping. The UK food system, including both industry and local authorities, has responded well to the crisis putting food safety at the forefront and our regular engagements through a variety of methods have helped to determine where possible food chain disruption might affect UK food safety, allowing us to develop temporary and proportionate easements to help the situation. The FSA has worked with businesses, local and port health authorities and consumer groups seeking to have the most up-to-date, accurate and useful information available. We have developed a business and industry portal bringing together in one place all our advice and guidance for food businesses looking to operate during the pandemic. In addition, we have provided regular updates to local authorities providing advice and support on the prioritisation of food and feed law official controls. Throughout the pandemic FSA staff have continued to work successfully either from home or at approved premises ensuring that all meat plants under our jurisdiction remained capable of operating. The health and wellbeing of our staff is of the utmost importance and we have continually provided updates on the pandemic and guidance as to how to keep themselves and others safe. As essential Key Workers, they are critical to national service delivery ensuring that the UK food supply keeps flowing. The incident has put significant demands upon FSA personnel at a time when many of us have our own personal concerns. However, throughout the pandemic, staff absence has remained minimal and morale has been good. Put simply, our staff have been superb, as have those working across the whole food system. Going forward, we remain prepared with available capability and capacity to address a future resurgence of COVID-19 should that occur even if it is concurrent with the end of the EU exit transition phase when the Northern Ireland protocol comes into effect.

## Executive Summary Food Safety Highlights Public Health England (Phe) Campylobacter Cases Risk Of Covid-19 Exposure In Food Social Media Response Overall Risk = Very Low

The FSA were aware of the potential for disinformation to circulate online in connection with COVID-19, for example, the FSA observed a trend asking whether it was necessary to wash fruit and vegetables in bleach, disinfectant or detergent in order to inactivate the virus. 

In response, the FSA launched a series of social media posts to firmly state that consumers should not wash food with bleach, disinfectant or detergent which performed well across all channels receiving:
The FSA considered the probability that UK consumers would receive infectious exposures of COVID-19 via food consumption, handling food contact materials or packaging as Negligible as assessed by pathway A (food 

## 50K Accounts Who Viewed This Post Which Also Had An

of animal origin) and **Very Low** ("very rare but cannot be excluded") as assessed by pathway B (contamination of food)

## Food Incidents

average interaction per 1,000 followers of 5%, significantly higher than our average interaction rate

## Executive Summary Covid-19 Consumer Tracker Highlights Eating Out

% of respondents in July who suggest they would not return to restaurants for the foreseeable future, 

## Consumers And The Food System: Covid-19

The qualitative research showed that more generally, COVID-19 had changed how consumers buy, cook and eat food

Participants were 
eager for clear visual 
safety cues in shops, 
particularly clear 
social distancing

Trust in food businesses have 
mostly strengthened under 
COVID-19, driven primarily by a 
perceived robust 'return to 
normal' after early disruptions 
like product shortages

## Food Insecurity Food Availability / Affordability

% of respondents in April concerned about food availability. This reduced to **20%** between 

## Eating Food Past Use-By Dates

% of respondents in April 
indicated that they had eaten 
food that had gone past its sell 
by date. This reduced to a range 

of 17-39% in May and June

Many experienced positive 
changes to household food 
behaviours such as 
increased home-cooking 
and food sharing and 
increased attention to diet

The average % of respondents 
between April and July during 
lockdown who had cut down meal 
sizes or skipped meals entirely due to 
not having enough money

## Prioritising The Fsa'S Executive Summary Covid-19 Response

The FSA's objectives throughout have been to ensure food safety, preserving the high level of consumer protection in the UK whilst supporting industry in maintaining the nation's food supply

## Meat Premises Audits Were Re-Prioritised

Using a risk based approach audits of meat Food Business Operators (FBOs) continued to be carried out only for those in the lowest two categories of compliance with 2 audits needed in Q1. This allowed staff to be redeployed and support FBOs operating

## Public Consultations Have Been Paused Local Authority Activity Re-Prioritisation

Guidance on re-prioritising was produced for the local authority community with over 600 views since its launch in March. The guidance was regularly reviewed and updated with 12 iterations in Q1

## Mobilisation Of Staff

92 Colleagues worked directly in the incident response team on a variety of activities. In addition 30 qualified staff were redeployed to Field Operations from elsewhere in FSA. Across the organisation all activity was reprioritised with COVID-19 support as the top priority for enabling functions Statutory consultations, report publications and reviews have been paused to not add to the burden on stakeholders while COVID-19 is the priority

## Executive Summary Our Performance In Q1 20/21 Food Sector Context Executive Summary Value Of The Food Sector Economic Outlook Since Covid-19 Employment Since Covid-19

In working hours in the accommodation and food service activities sector, by far, the largest 
% of businesses that had reduced working hours 

## Small To Medium Enterprises (Smes)

The average proportion of SMEs in manufacturing, hospitality, wholesale and retail in the food sector to the UK economy. They are important in the food chain supply to maintain competitiveness compared to the same Of employees in the accommodation and food service sector were furloughed, the largest proportion of any workforce

## Incident Response Mobilisation Incident Response Mobilisation Field Staff Absence Figures

92 Colleagues who worked throughout in incident response on a variety of activities including investigation groups of which 48 were volunteers from across the agency Including 7 group leaders and support managers In addition 30 qualified inspection and veterinary staff were seconded to Field Operations to ensure delivery continued Despite a peak of 132 daily COVID-19 related absences during the early part of our COVID-19 response, Field Operations delivery continued

## Helping To Keep Industry Working

of meat approved premises wanting to operate during Q1 were able to as FSA contingency plans for staff deployment provided staff to meet requirements Animal welfare standards were maintained

## Relationship With Consumers During Covid-19 Ensure People Understand That You Cannot Get Covid-19 From Food, And What To Do To Keep Food Safe What? How?

issues. Delivered communication activity in a timely way, for example, on use-by dates and freezing products and amplified this through partners

## Gov.Uk In Q1. **34,000** Alone In The First 3 Days Of Publication Making Covid-19 Food Guidance Available To Businesses What? Help Businesses Find The Information They Need To Make Adjustments To Keep Running Without Compromising Food Safety

This represents 6.48% of overall site traffic and is **137,000** more than the next most popular non-COVID-19 content The portal has a returning visitor rate of 
29.29% (**12.8**% higher than the food.gov.uk average)

with the meat industry, and weekly calls with other industry stakeholders
bodies to promote #FoodHeroes, a social media campaign to highlight the efforts of keyworkers across the food industry

## Engagement With Industry During Covid-19 To Support Food Production / Supply

Meetings in place for two-way communication during the FSA's COVID-19 response and key outcomes from the meetings 

## Account Manager Calls With Fbos

representative groups invited to the 

Main focus for timely 
information exchange on 
food supply and security 
across the food industry

Trade Association 
forum for information 
exchange on COVID-19 
matters involving food

industry to raise any concerns around food safety and supply

## Daily Strategic & Technical Meetings

with Industry & Key Stakeholders

Opportunity to discuss emerging 
risks and issues with industry 
representatives, provide 
assurance and share information

Implementation and 
monitoring of stage 2 
and stage 3 
easements to support 
service delivery

## Communicating With Our Staff What?

Ensure staff feel engaged and that senior leadership is sufficiently visible, particularly for frontline staff working in meat premises. Celebrate the role of staff in meat premises (our field operations team) in maintaining food supplies

## Incident Response And Local Authority Hub Performance Local Authority Guidance Supporting Our Staff Covid-19 Related Special Leave From 1 April To 30 June 2020

The FSA revised the special leave policy for staff requiring emergency leave to enable staff to do the right thing

## Fsa Staff Networks - Key Highlights From Covid-19 Response Meeting Our Staff'S Wellbeing Needs

Weekly virtual coffee 
Virtual learning 
Regular COVID-19 
mornings to provide a 
guidance published to 
newsletters published, 
safe space to talk, listen, 
enable staff to continue 
providing key and the 
share stories and help 
learning and developing
latest information
each other
by total number of 
days available)
Increased and 
implemented working 
Provided additional IT 
equipment / furniture 
from home allowance to 
to staff to enable fullall home-working staff
time homeworking

## Remote Recruitment And Return To Office Alternative Route To Recruitment Return To Office Surveys - Key Findings

How effective do you feel you are working from home, in comparison to when you were working in an office?

Has your work-life balance changed since working from home?

Based on your experience of working from home so far, or you considering changing your contract to either multi location or home-based?

Would you like to be considered as one of the first to return to office as soon as we are able to?

## Affordability - How The Fsa Is Performing Against Hm Treasury Limits 2020/21

| 20/21 Full Year                 | Fav/(Adv)      | Fav/(Adv)      | Under   |  /    |
|---------------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------|-------|
| Forecast                        |                |                |         |       |
| 20/21                           |                |                |         |       |
| Limits                          | Availability   | Variance       | (Over)  |       |
| £m                              | £m             | £m             | %       | spend |
| FSA Total (RDEL & CDEL exc AME) |                |                |         |       |
| 121.3                           | 126.8          | 5.5            | 4%      |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |
| Westminster (including EU Exit) |                |                |         |       |
| Net Admin Expenditure           |                |                |         |       |
| 49.2                            | 49.7           | 0.5            | 1%      |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |
| Net Programme Expenditure       |                |                |         |       |
| 51.2                            | 53.2           | 2.0            | 4%      |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |
| Capital (CDEL)                  |                |                |         |       |
| 8.4                             | 8.9            | 0.5            | 6%      |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |
| Wales                           |                |                |         |       |
| RDEL & CDEL                     |                |                |         |       |
| 3.4                             | 3.7            | 0.3            | 8%      |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |
| Northern Ireland                |                |                |         |       |
| RDEL & CDEL                     |                |                |         |       |
| 9.1                             | 11.3           | 2.2            | 19%     |       |
| ˜                               |                |                |         |       |

## Breakdown Of Corporate Priorities

|                                                |              | 2020/21    | Under   |
|------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------|---------|
| Budget                                         | /            | (Over)     | Spend   |
| 2020/21                                        |              |            |         |
| Full Year                                      |              |            |         |
| Forecast                                       | Availability |            |         |
| £m                                             | £m           | £m         |         |
| FSA Total (RDEL & CDEL) (of which):            |              |            |         |
| 121.3                                          | 126.8        | 5.5        |         |
| Risk Assessment and other Science              |              |            |         |
| 10.1                                           | 10.9         | 0.8        |         |
| Risk Management and other Policy               |              |            |         |
| 6.3                                            | 7.0          | 0.7        |         |
| LA Support & Delivery of official controls     |              |            |         |
| 6.0                                            | 6.0          | 0.0        |         |
| National Food Crime Unit (NFCU)                |              |            |         |
| 4.3                                            | 4.8          | 0.5        |         |
| Operations excl. NFCU & COVID-19               |              |            |         |
| 22.0                                           | 24.3         | 2.3        |         |
| Doing the day job well                         |              |            |         |
| 47.7                                           | 51.6         | 3.9        |         |
| Capital                                        |              |            |         |
| 2.7                                            | 3.2          | 0.5        |         |
| Key Priorities (see next slide for breakdown): |              |            |         |
| 22.2                                           |              |            |         |
| 19.0                                           | (3.2)        |            |         |

## Breakdown Of Key Areas Of Spend

| 2020/21                       | Under        |  /    |
|-------------------------------|--------------|-------|
| Budget                        | Spend        |       |
| 2020/21                       |              |       |
| Full Year                     |              |       |
| Forecast                      | Availability |       |
| £m                            | £m           | £m    |
| Key Priorities (of which):    |              |       |
| 22.2                          | 19.0         | (3.2) |
| COVID-19 (see next slide)     |              |       |
| 3.6                           | 0.0          | (3.6) |
| EU Transition excl. NFCU      |              |       |
| 10.0                          | 10.2         | 0.2   |
| Achieving Business Compliance |              |       |
| 2.5                           | 2.4          | (0.1) |
| Operational Transformation    |              |       |
| 1.1                           | 1.2          | 0.1   |
| Food Hypersensitivity         |              |       |
| 2.7                           | 2.9          | 0.2   |
| Surveillance ( inc. Sampling) |              |       |
| 2.3                           | 2.3          | 0.0   |

## Covid-19 Costs And Savings

2020/21 Full Year 
Forecast £m
COVID-19 Costs (of which): 
3.6 
Reduced Income - Non-idle Time
0.6 
Additional E&J Costs 
0.6 
Surveillance Sampling in response to COVID
0.6 
Field Operations Increased Overtime (including SCS overtime)
0.5 
Additional Field Operations Consumables / Services & Other Costs
0.5 
Staffing costs
0.3 
Briefing Cell & Outward secondment Costs
0.3 
COVID-19 Horizon Scanning - research support
0.2 
2020/21 Full Year 
Forecast £m
COVID-19 Savings (of which): 
(2.1)
Travel & Subsistence
(1.9)
Training & Meeting Room Hire
(0.2)