Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Professor Susan Jebb has revealed that she will be standing down in June 2024.

Jebb announced that she would leave at the end of her term in office, which ends 30th June 2024. She said that the Department for Health and Social Care will launch the recruitment campaign for her successor shortly.

In a written statement, Jebb said: “Over the next four months there remains much I want to achieve for the FSA and it is not in my nature to take my foot off the accelerator.

“Our reform programme is urgently needed to enable the FSA to support businesses to do the right thing, deliver efficiencies for the taxpayer and, crucially, to ensure we uphold the high food standards we all value.

“I am grateful for your support and partnership over the last few years, and look forward to continuing to work with you.”

Jebb also said that it had been a “huge privilege” to be the chair, and expressed her pride in the work she has done with the FSA.

She said: “I’ve been pleased to be able to incorporate new thinking into the FSA strategy about our contribution to creating a healthier and more sustainable food system and to launch, with Food Standards Scotland, our annual reports on food standards in the UK to provide the public and policymakers with the information they need to monitor and respond to emerging risks.

“The FSA is fortunate to have a strong and committed board and I am delighted that Tim Riley has recently been announced as the new deputy chair.

“The FSA is also very ably led by our chief executive, Emily Miles, and I am confident that the FSA will continue to champion the pursuit of high food standards for people in the UK and those abroad who value food produced here.”