Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

H&S MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IN PRACTICE

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Join us next week (Thurs 25th February) at our first online Health and Safety Conference where we will be joined by Julian Taylor, Head of Sales Enablement at SHE Software.

Julian manages a global team based in the UK and North America, who all work closely with organizations to clearly map out their issues, challenges and objectives to identify how technology can support and resolve/meet these.

He has worked within the health and safety sector for 20 years in a variety of HR and training roles and is NEBOSH qualified. He is passionate about engaging and empowering the broader teams within organizations to make safety happen and ‘simply be part of what we do’

At the conference, Julian will be interviewing Daniel Bowles, Group Head of Health & Safety Finsbury Foods to demonstrate how SHE health & safety management software has been implemented successfully and helped manage health & safety in many ways.

Book your tickets here: https://bfff.co.uk/event/bfff-health-and-safety-conference/

BFFF ANNOUNCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER – HEALTH & SAFETY CONFERENCE – 25TH FEBRUARY 2021

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

We are pleased to welcome Dr Shaun Lundy as our keynote speaker this year. Shaun is a visiting Scholar at the University of Greenwich, Chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR), a member of the HSE Myth Buster Challenge Panel, and a member of the Policy and Standards Committee at the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH).

Shaun will navigate us through some of the challenges of the health & safety profession.  This includes the evolution of technology, strategic planning and having agility to change our plans especially in light of COVID, he will also look at mental health & wellbeing and ethics.

Our thanks to Conference Sponsor: Arco Ltd.

Click the link to view the full programme and book your tickets:  https://bfff.co.uk/event/bfff-health-and-safety-conference/

BUILDING ON “ONE LINEAGE” AS WE COMPLETE TWELVE ACQUISITIONS IN EUROPE

Posted on by Clare Hodson

Earlier this week, we announced that Lineage has completed twelve transactions across five countries, including The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, and Norway.

In total, these deals add 2.5 million square feet and 90 million cubic feet of capacity to our global footprint – the equivalent to approximately 1,022 Olympic-size swimming pools, and 15% larger than the volume of London’s O2 Arena! It’s absolutely amazing.

While the Lineage team worked tirelessly to keep the world fed during the pandemic, in the background,   we were hard at work searching for, and integrating, temperature-controlled facilities in core population and food production markets to continue extending our leading global network.

These transactions address increasing demand from customers who are responding to shifting market dynamics and are looking for innovative global supply chain solutions to solve their challenges. The strategic locations of these facilities near where food is grown, consumed, and shipped from ports allows us to offer supply chain solutions that extend throughout the entire value chain. Additionally, the acquisitions bring more highly-automated capabilities into our network and provide expansion opportunities as we – and our customers – grow.

Truth be told, our relentless focus on our customers (and our growth to support them) wouldn’t be possible without our “One Lineage” team. Looking back on our company’s history, it’s clear that bringing strong teams together under one banner has been at the core of our domestic and international growth. Our M&A vision has always been to find smart, innovative companies with values-based cultures that help us to build a whole that is stronger than the sum of its parts. In other words, in one way or another, we have always – and will continue to – work in pursuit of that One Lineage framework.

To be sure, the One Lineage story is an exciting one to be a part of. We all have a hand in building a global powerhouse in an industry that plays a vital role in connecting people all over the world to the food they eat every day.

2020 was full of challenges, but it was also a year of momentous growth for our company. I am proud to be a part of the Lineage family and I am excited for what’s to come in 2021.

Please join me in welcoming the newest members of the Lineage family – and there certainly are a lot of them – and in congratulating the team for an incredible year of growth.

CAMPDEN BRI DEVELOPS METHOD TO HELP INDUSTRY CONTROL COVID-19 TRANSMISSION

Posted on by karen.jones@campdenbri.co.uk

Campden BRI has developed a new test procedure to determine whether air cleaning systems can effectively inactivate and remove the virus that causes COVID-19 from the air and surfaces.

It comes as food businesses attempt to protect their workforces with these systems which are sometimes marketed as being effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the respiratory disease.

In a recently published position paper, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) highlighted the need for these systems to be independently validated. The paper identified a lack of robust scientific data supporting the efficacy of such systems against relevant test organisms under realistic in-use conditions.

Annette Sansom, senior research officer at Campden BRI who led the development of the method, said:

“Knowing coronaviruses to be spread by airborne transmission, many food businesses have put in place extra measures to protect their employees, including the installation of air cleaning systems. Some of these devices state effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, but without these claims being validated, businesses can’t be sure that they’re protecting their staff. With an aerobiology laboratory capable of representing factory conditions, we steered our ongoing research project on the effective control of viruses towards a method that could validate these claims and help businesses create COVID-secure environments.”

The new method uses a surrogate organism, structurally similar to SARS-CoV-2, in a specialist aerobiology laboratory to validate air cleaning systems on a scale not replicated elsewhere in the UK.

The test itself has been developed to adapt to various environments seen throughout the food and drink industry. For example, as meat and poultry factories are kept cold to prevent the growth of Listeria, the aerobiology laboratory can be chilled to assess an air cleaner’s effectiveness in these conditions. Sansom continued: “Having a method that can replicate real-life conditions is key to ensuring an air cleaning system can effectively remove SARS-CoV-2 in that environment.”

SAGE highlighted that the application of these technologies – which include UV-C light, plasma, filters and chemical sprays – may be a useful strategy to reduce airborne transmission risks in poorly ventilated spaces.

This paves the way for these devices to be used in closed spaces such as offices which are prone to poor ventilation. However, having identified the potential chemical hazards associated with some systems, SAGE’s position paper makes clear that these hazards should be fully understood and properly mitigated to ensure safe operation.

Rob Limburn, microbiology group manager at Campden BRI who helped develop the validation method, said:

“Some air cleaning systems produce ozone and/or other potentially hazardous by-products, such as CO2, during operation. It’s therefore important that such devices are tested to ensure that levels of these substances do not exceed recommended maximum levels under in-use conditions.”

The current UK workplace exposure limit for ozone is 0.2 ppm according to the Health and Safety Executive.

As well as in the air, some systems claim to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces. It is believed that testing these claims at the location the device will be used is a robust way of ensuring this effectiveness.

Having recently trialled the new method on a boat, Limburn demonstrated how the test can assess claims of surface activity in a number of different settings which can include hotel rooms, buses, trains, lifts, offices and canteens. Businesses can therefore assess which of these technologies is most effective and safe for their specific area to help them determine which would be a worthwhile investment.

For the industry, having a validated air cleaning technology system in place not only helps a workforce feel safer, but also helps prevent cases of COVID-19 that would otherwise cause lost time due to staff self-isolation.

Limburn continued:

“We’ve found that the ‘next virus’ is a real concern for many food businesses and is partly the reason why they’re considering installing these systems. They’re thinking of both the current health crisis and future pandemics.”

The new method is the latest edition to Campden BRI’s suite of COVID-19 services which includes the PCR-based nose and throat swab test designed specifically for workforces.

LOCKDOWN UNCOVERS NEW GENERATION OF FROZEN SHOPPERS

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

New Frozen Food Report highlights significant growth in frozen sector and changes in consumer shopping habits that could be here to stay.

  • Retail frozen food sales increase by £872m to over £7bn a year
  • Frozen YoY growth exceeds total grocery, and fresh and chilled
  • Consumers shopping less frequently but spending more per shop

The pandemic has changed the way we shop, perhaps permanently, and given frozen food sales a huge boost, according to a new report.

The Frozen Food Report, released today, reveals retail frozen food sales have increased by £872m, and the value of frozen food sold in the UK stores is now worth £7.21bn with a year-on-year growth of 13.8%, compared to total grocery, which grew at 11.3%, and fresh and chilled at 9.3%.

The report, produced by the British Frozen Food Federation, also found Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are 23% more likely to eat frozen food as they are attracted by the convenience and flavour of the growing range of vegetarian and vegan products on offer.

Whilst the retail market saw massive growth last year as consumption patterns changed dramatically, the hospitality sector suffered enormously due to lockdown. But while out-of-home spending dropped by £1bn per week in 2020, takeaway sales increased by 250%, and the report highlights how foodservice businesses have embraced technology to keep going.

Commenting on the report launch, BFFF chief executive, Richard Harrow said: “It’s 10 years since we produced the first Frozen Food Report. In that time, the frozen food market has experienced impressive growth, improved quality perception and faced some of its greatest challenges.

“Since 2005 the retail market has seen a steady growth rate, achieving a 3.3% category average growth rate (CAGR) to reach a value today of £7.21bn. The market was boosted in 2020 by the pandemic lockdown, adding a massive £889m as sales moved from the foodservice market into the retail sector. Despite the challenges of 2020, and in some cases because of them, the UK’s frozen food industry continues to be a real success story.

“March 2020 was a record month for online penetration, which increased by 140,000 households, and further research in October found only 26% of shoppers stated they intend to revert to pre-pandemic shopping habits, with 55% saying they will never shop in the same way again. This means, potentially, 74% of shoppers will maintain their online shopping habits long-term.

“Another change in consumer behaviour is the frequency of shopping trips has declined overall, but increased for frozen, and basket spend is higher. Consumers are also looking for convenient products that will not spoil between shopping trips. This plays to the strengths of the frozen category and means we’re optimistic frozen will continue to grow its share of online purchases.”

The report, sponsored by NewCold, brings together research from leading names including Kantar Worldpanel and IGD to give a full picture of the market for frozen food. It has been produced by the BFFF Young Leaders Forum, with input from BFFF members, and features opinions and market predictions from industry leaders, including foodservice consultant Peter Backman, founder of FutureFoodservice.com Simon Stenning, and director of the British Plastics Federation Barry Turner.

Copies of the Frozen Food Report are available here: https://bfff.co.uk/the-frozen-food-report-2021/ 

SEAFAST: FELIXSTOWE MEGA DC A COLD CHAIN “GAME CHANGER”

Posted on by davidbaker@seafast.com

The giant 750,000 sq ft ambient and freezer distribution centre currently being constructed less than a quarter of a mile from the Port of Felixstowe is set to be a “game changer” for UK cold chain logistics industry.

Seafast is delighted to be working with freight and logistics group Uniserve on their ‘Felixstowe Mega DC‘, which is set to open its doors in the second quarter of this year. The introduction of huge new capacity into a space-starved warehousing market makes makes port-centric logistics at scale a reality for businesses moving cargo through Britain’s largest container port for the first time. Additionally, when operational the facility will house the largest port centric frozen cold store in the UK.

“The term ‘game-changer’ is sometimes bandied around too easily, but that’s exactly what the Felixstowe Mega DC is set to be – a major, much-needed game-changer for the UK supply chain industry. Its scale, its specifications and, of course, the cost / complexity / CO2 reductions stemming from port-centricity will deliver colossal value to Seafast’s customers.”

David Halliday
Managing Director, Seafast Cold Chain Logistics

Sitting on a 28-acre site along the A14, Felixstowe, the £90 million fulfilment centre will be BRC food grade accredited, bonded for both wet and dry goods and will offer consolidation services for goods in transit. Within its colossal walls (400 metres long by 120 metres wide by 21 metres high) will be housed state-of-the-art facilities enabling maximum flexibility to accommodate customer requirement across the broadest range of sectors and commodity types.

This will include:
•    100,000 sq ft cold store
•    18,000 pallet spaces of frozen storage
•    400,000 sq ft marshalling and narrow/wide aisle pallet racking
•    200,000 sq ft purpose built efulfilment zone
•    80,000 ambient pallet spaces
•    50,000 sq ft offices and staff facilities
•    10 levels of racking
•    4 mezzanine floors
•    Advanced electrical mechanical handling equipment
•    Significant green credentials

To find out more about how the Felixstowe Mega DC can bring value, visibility and control to your supply chain, please email enquiries@seafast.com

FDF / DEFRA Webinar on Workforce Covid Testing – Monday 15 February 15:00 – 16.30

Posted on by Carla Brown

Food and drink manufacturers are being asked to establish Asymptomatic Testing Sites in workplaces on a voluntary basis, which will provide confidence to employees and customers and help to protect and enable business continuity. Government is inviting businesses in the food sector with more than 50 employees (with sites located in England) to register for the provision of government-funded lateral flow technology (LFT) to test asymptomatic workers. For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests.

FDF is jointly hosting a webinar on workforce testing with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on Monday 15 February at 15:00 to provide an opportunity to hear from government and industry on how to access and implement workforce testing effectively.

View the Webinar joint-fdf-defra-workplace-testing-webinar.

In addition to speakers from FDF and DEFRA, we will be joined by the following experts in this area:
• James Forsyth from the Department for Health and Social Care
• Gerald Mason from Tate & Lyle Sugars
• Lee Sheppard from apetito
• Matthew Rushton from Reed Talent Solutions
• We will also hear about initial plans for workforce testing in Scotland and Wales
There will be an opportunity to have any questions you may have answered during a Q&A session at the end of the webinar.

To attend the event please register your interest to Griffin Shiel at griffin.shiel@fdf.org.uk to receive a link to the webinar which will be held on Microsoft Teams.

ADBA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021 TO LOOK AT HOW TO DELIVER NET ZERO ACROSS TRANSPORT, HEAT, AGRICULTURE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT – AND FIND THE MONEY FOR IT.

Posted on by vera.litvin@adbioresources.org
  • ADBA National Conference 2021 will take place online on 16th and 17th February
  • It will look at the hardest to decarbonise sectors of transport, heat and agriculture, and at the financial structures that can best support AD in the post-Covid Green Recovery
  • It will aim to demonstrate the value of AD in achieving Paris Agreement targets ahead of COP26

We are in a decisive decade for decarbonisation, which includes urgently managing organic wastes to prevent the harmful methane emissions they would otherwise emit. This involves treating these resources through anaerobic digestion (AD), the nature-based technology which is able to extract the most value from them – recycling them into green energy and CO2, biofertilisers and other valuable bioproducts.

The AD industry sits at the heart of the circular economy of organic wastes and is ready to deliver on this today.  These will be the key messages of next week’s ADBA National Conference 2021 hosted by the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA).  Entitled “Green gas: ready to go, ready to scale, ready to deliver Net Zero”, the 2021 edition of the annual conference on 16th and 17th February will feature sessions on:

  • Realising the potential of biomethane in transport
  • The role of AD and green gas in decarbonising heat
  • Agriculture and AD- working together for Net Zero
  • Digestate – How AD impacts clean air
  • The impact of new food waste regulations for AD in the UK
  • Financing the Green Recovery in the UK

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Alan Whitehead, MP and Shadow Minister, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Sam Hare, Waste & Recycling Policy Advisor, Defra
  • Matt Hindle, Head of Gas, Energy Networks Association
  • John Coates, Vice Chair, LARAC
  • James Alexander, CEO, UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association
  • David Hurren, CEO, Air Liquide
  • Dr Jonathan Scurlock, Chief Advisor, Renewable Energy, National Farmers’ Union
  • Dr Jem Woods, Reader in Sustainable Development,  Imperial College
  • Kathy Nicholls, Senior Advisor, Environment and Business, Environment Agency
  • Thomas Minter, Director, Malaby Biogas
  • Keith Warburton, Decarbonisation Development Manager, Wales & West Utilities
  • and many more…

“To fulfil AD’s potential to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 6% over the next decade“, says Charlotte Morton, ADBA’s Chief Executive. “it is imperative for the UK government to acknowledge that in AD they have a mature, future-proof technology readily available to help decarbonise key sectors of the economy.  Our message to the UK government, months before it hosts COP26, is that AD must be considered in the UK’s Net Zero strategy and the conference will demonstrate why.”

View full programme

The conference will also feature extensive breaks for networking and engaging with the conference sponsors: Air Liquide, Beamex, Clarke Energy, Desotec, Eco2, Flogas, Macquarie, Omex, Target Renewables and Vaisala.

Register

MEDIA ACCREDITATION:  To receive your free media pass for the conference, please contact:
Jocelyne Bia, Senior Communications Consultant
email: Jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org
tel: +44 (0)7910 878510.