Chair, Full Member, Associate Member and Lay Member

Help Shape the Future of Food Safety in the UK

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking outstanding scientists, academics, researchers, industry professionals and subject matter experts to join its Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs) and Science Council.

This is a unique opportunity for experts from academia, research institutes, healthcare organisations, industry and the wider public sector to contribute independent scientific advice that directly informs UK food policy and consumer protection.

About the FSA

The FSA is an independent, non-ministerial department, established in 2000. Our job, set out in law, is to safeguard public health and protect the interests of consumers in relation to food. Our fundamental mission is food you can trust. By food you can trust, we mean a food system in which food is safe, food is what it says it is and food is healthier and more sustainable.

The FSA operates at the forefront of some of the most important and complex issues facing the UK food system, from emerging food technologies and food safety risks to protecting consumers' interests. 

The FSA's Scientific Advisory Committees and Science Council are central to this work, providing independent expert advice that informs policy and decision-making. Their expertise helps the FSA protect public health and ensure consumers can trust the food they buy. 

Roles Available  

We are recruiting for Chair, Full Member, Associate Member and Lay Member positions across a range of Scientific Advisory Committees. 

As a committee member, you will: 

Apply your scientific, technical or professional expertise to issues of national importance.

Identify emerging risks and opportunities affecting the food system.

Work alongside leading academics, researchers and industry experts.

Support robust, transparent and evidence-based decision-making.

Provide a consumer perspective to help ensure that the committee's advice reflects public interests and concerns.

Areas of Expertise Sought

We welcome applications from experts working across academia, research, industry, healthcare, and the public sector, as well as individuals able to bring valuable consumer and citizen perspectives.

The range of expertise we are looking for includes:

Toxicology and Risk Assessment: toxicology, pathology, neurotoxicity, exposure assessment, allergenicity, food allergy, interpretation of 90-day studies and chemical contaminants in food.

Microbiology: food microbiology.

Genetics, Biotechnology and Novel Foods: plant genetics, genetic technologies, proteomics, metabolomics, and novel food.

Animal Health, Feed and Agriculture: veterinary science, animal feed safety, aquaculture, monogastrics, animal trials, and agricultural and farming systems.

Statistics and Modelling: statistician with expertise in statistical methodology, policy design and decision-making, modelling including benchmark dose modelling, and statistics, risk modeller with expertise in quantitative/complex risk modelling and uncertainty analysis.

Social Science and Consumer Research: behavioural science, consumer attitudes and behaviour, survey methodology, qualitative, participatory and digital methods, Artificial Intelligence, food innovation, risk management and communication.

Economics and Policy: applied public health economist, with expertise in microeconomic, macroeconomic, behavioural, and/or political economy approaches.

Food Systems and Industry: industrial food production and distribution processes.

Opportunities for Established and Emerging Experts

We are committed to developing the next generation of scientific advisers. Applicants who are not yet ready for a Full Member appointment may be considered for an Associate Member role, providing an opportunity to gain experience within a national scientific advisory environment.

Whether you are an established authority in your field, an experienced chair, an emerging expert or someone able to bring an important public perspective, we want to hear from you.

Help shape the science that protects consumers and supports confidence in the UK's food system.

Find out more and apply on the FSA SAC recruitment page .