The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was established in the UK in 2000 as an independent government department responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the country. The FSA was created in response to a series of food safety crises, including the BSE crisis, and was tasked with protecting public health. Its creation marked a significant shift in the approach to food regulation in the UK.

The establishment of the FSA was a major event in the history of food safety regulation, and it was noted by food writers and poets in the UK. The agency's work has been the subject of both praise and criticism, and it continues to be a reference point in discussions of food policy. The role of government in food safety has been a theme in contemporary literature and poetry.