Ep. 214. Chris McGarvey: UK/EU Food Regulatory Changes on the Horizon

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Mar 24, 2026

Chris McGarvey, director of regulatory and compliance at Walker Morris with 25+ years in food law and former FSA legal lead. He discusses imminent UK and EU regulatory shifts affecting food operations. Topics include rules for BPA packaging, precision fermentation and CBD product oversight, lessons from Brexit for business preparedness, UK–EU trade negotiation risks for exporters, and advances in traceability and recall tech.

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ADVICE

Prepare Now For UK BPA Packaging Ban

Do review packaging supply chains now to prepare for the upcoming UK ban on BPA in food packaging effective July.
Chris McGarvey recommends working with packaging suppliers to update specs and sell through noncompliant stock before the ban takes effect.

INSIGHT

Predictability Unlocks Food Innovation

Regulatory systems must be agile and predictable to enable investment in fast-moving food biotechnologies like precision fermentation.
McGarvey says predictability reduces reputational and financial risk when companies invest in novel food production methods.

ADVICE

Manage Consumer Perception Early

Do monitor and manage consumer perception proactively because social media can rapidly spread disinformation about novel foods.
McGarvey cites a UK social media campaign that falsely alarmed consumers about a dairy feed additive despite rigorous safety assessment.

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Chris McGarvey is the Director of the Regulatory and Compliance Team for Walker Morris LLP in the UK. He has more than 25 years of experience working in both the private and public sector, and has a track record of helping clients navigate complex legal challenges in areas of highly regulated economic activity. Chris specializes in food law and led the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) Legal Team through Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply chain challenges associated with the Ukraine conflict. Chris' typical clients are Directors, Senior Managers, and specialists, particularly food scientists, who demand quick, accessible, and accurate advice. His work often has national reach and spans all four nations of the UK.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Chris [26:40] about:

Impending regulatory changes in the UK and EU that will have immediate impacts for food business operations, and what companies should be doing to prepare
The legal, ethical, and compliance challenges posed by the increasing regulatory attention being paid to emerging food innovations like precision fermentation and cannabidiol (CBD) products, and the potential influence of consumer perceptions on regulatory outcomes
How Brexit can serve as a case study for food businesses navigating significant regulatory changes
The legal and financial implications for food exporters related to ongoing UK–EU food trade negotiations
Benefits, drawbacks, and realities of the EU's prescriptive, stringent approach to regulating food substances versus the U.S.'s current deregulatory, voluntary approach
Possible consumer health and legal outcomes that could emerge if countries choose to adopt Codex-aligned, risk-based precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) requirements
Advice for companies to go beyond minimum compliance with traceability and recall regulatory requirements, including the role that technology can play in achieving this goal.

News and Resources

News

Larry Keener to be Honored with Food Safety Magazine's 2026 Distinguished Service Award [7:16]

RFK Jr. Says Federal Ultra-Processed Foods Definition is Coming in April [8:49]

FDA Releases Initial Findings from Foodborne Pathogen Study in California Growing Region [15:09]

EU Considers Adoption of Harmonized Precautionary Allergen Labeling Rules [20:27]

UK-EU Trade Agreement Would Harmonize Certain Food Safety Rules by Mid-2027 [21:33]

EU Launches AI Traceability Platform to Strengthen Detection of Food Fraud, Safety Risks [22:45]

World Food Safety Day 2026 to Coincide with Release of Updated WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Estimates [23:33]

Resources

"2026 Trends in the EU/UK Food Law Space" by Chris McGarvey