Page 406 — British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF)

UK’S NCSC WARN ABOUT RECENT RANSOMWARE CYBER-ATTACK

Posted on July 6, 2021January 9, 2026 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Members may have seen media coverage this weekend relating to a very significant ransomware cyber-attack on Kaseya, a US software supplier company, leading to retailers in Sweden experiencing indirect but significant impacts.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a statement with a link to their guidance on supply chain cyber security. Please see below and feel free to share within your networks:

NCSC statement on Kaseya incident – NCSC.GOV.UK

If you are a Kaseya customer, the NCSC suggests that you read the company’s incident update page , which recommends that people who have been affected do not click on any links emailed to them by the attackers as they could be malicious.

NEW INTEGRATION PARTNER: FOODSERVICE ONLINE

Posted on July 6, 2021 by

New Integration Partner: Foodservice Online – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM

2021 has already yielded some exciting developments here at Erudus, and now we’re happy to announce another huge step forward in our goal to improve the sharing of food data – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM.

A collaboration between Erudus and Foodservice Online – the web agency specialising in the Wholesale sector, this new product information management solution comes fully integrated with the Erudus Data Pool, and makes it quicker and easier than ever before for Wholesalers to manage and enrich their product data – perfect for those looking to enhance their data quality whilst saving time and money.

With the Wholesale industry in the midst of a digital transformation, a solution such as this has never been more timely, as Foodservice Online CEO Richard Fletcher explains. “PIM is an essential component of a successful ecommerce strategy. It also enhances more traditional sales and marketing functions such as print and customer requests for bespoke data formats.”

All in all, it’s going to make things better for everyone in the supply chain so here’s everything you need to know about our new partnership with Foodservice Online, and its results – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM…

Akeneo is perfectly placed for PIM (Product Integration Management)

Richard Fletcher says: “Akeneo is a cloud-based solution that is simple to integrate with any ERP/back-office solution. Akeneo can also be integrated with any ecommerce platform or 3rd-party procurement portals. Akeneo improves the way that businesses collect and store data (from any source) and how they distribute data to multiple sales and marketing channels. It also enriches and controls the quality of data. As the leader in open source Product Experience Management, Akeneo offers a Akeneo PIM provides a robust set of enterprise-level features and capabilities that help foodservice Wholesalers deliver more detailed and compelling customer experiences.”

And Erudus have the data everyone needs

Richard says: “Erudus are the leading source of accurate and up-to-date product data in the foodservice sector. Trusted and with widespread utilisation, Erudus data plays a key role in helping foodservice Wholesalers to promote their products and services.”

So this is the ideal collaboration for them

Richard says: “Working closely with Erudus, we have designed a PIM solution specifically for foodservice Wholesalers who are looking to improve the quality of their product data whilst reducing the time and cost it takes to manage and share.”

Several Erudus attributes prompted the Akeneo PIM extension to come about…

Richard says: “The Erudus features that interested [Foodservice Online] the most were

Product data feed
Image Hub
API connectivity

And now we have built a custom extension for Akeneo PIM that connects the Erudus database to Akeneo. The extension also includes a range of Akeneo user interface enhancements.”

…And it presents many benefits to its users

Richard says: “The Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM allows you to:

Connect your Erudus account to Akeneo PIM in just a few seconds – Simply add your Erudus API credentials into the Erudus settings menu in Akeneo PIM and your Erudus account is connected.
Manage Erudus product mappings from within Akeneo PIM – Save time by managing ‘local product code’ Erudus mapping directly within Akeneo PIM.
Compatible with Erudus Image Hub – Access thousands of product images from the Erudus Image Hub within Akeneo PIM.
Use EANs to automatically map your products to the Erudus database – Utilise your EAN data to automatically check the Erudus database for new and updated product mappings.
Decide which Erudus attributes to use in your enrichment process – An easy to use configuration wizard in Akeneo PIM allows you to choose which Erudus attributes to synchronise and how they are mapped to your own taxonomy.
Synchronise Akeneo PIM with Erudus and preview product data in real-time – Automated background processes continuously check the Erudus database for new and updated product data.
Compliment Erudus product data with your own unique content – Combine your own unique content such as images and descriptions with Erudus’s product data to create exceptional product experiences.
View Erudus data from within Akeneo PIM in a dedicated Erudus tab – A dedicated Erudus tab within the Product Edit page in Akeneo PIM allows you to preview what data is available from Erudus for a particular product, including images and PDF specification sheets.
Approve or reject changes to Erudus data from within the Akeneo Approvals Dashboard – Use the Approvals feature within Akeneo PIM to manage changes to Erudus data. Accept or reject updates quickly from a dedicated Erudus dashboard.
Make incomplete data easy to spot – Leverage Akeneo PIM’s completeness engine to improve the supervision of your product data and raise standards.
Create a direct connection between suppliers and your own systems – Leave Erudus in control of chosen attributes for a direct connection between Akeneo PIM and your supply chain.
Improve the way you manage product data across all your sales channels – From ecommerce and marketplaces, to print and individual customer requests, the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM can help you improve the quality of your product data whilst reducing the time and cost it takes to manage and share.

The integration will help Wholesalers adapt to the emerging industry challenges

Richard says: “Product information is an essential part of a successful ecommerce strategy. From allergens and ingredients to rich descriptions, videos and images, modern buyers rely on product information to make fast and effective purchasing decisions. Increasingly, buyers are relying on digital sales channels to serve their information needs and PIM significantly improves a foodservice Wholesalers ability to successfully satisfy these requirements.”

The Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM allows businesses to move with the times and avoid being left behind

Richard says: “As a senior decision-maker in foodservice, do you need a PIM? A good way to answer this question to look at your own personal online habits. Do you buy products and services online from businesses that are unable to provide good images, descriptions, and technical details? The answer is “no”.
Foodservice Wholesalers who are unable to satisfy their customer’s needs in relation to product information risk falling behind and becoming less and less competitive over time. On the contrary, foodservice Wholesalers who capitalise on the product information opportunity stand to be more successful now and in the future.”

Erudus believes the solution’s slickness and ease of use is a game changer

Erudus COO Jon Shyaler says: ‘I’m really excited about the Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM – as an integration it couldn’t be slicker or more seamless. I’m proud that Erudus and Foodservice Online have pushed so hard to reach a level of sophistication with this solution that makes it easier for Wholesalers to enrich their product data than ever before. Giving Wholesalers more control over how they present data is something very important to us, as well as casting the net of the Erudus data as wide as possible – and I believe that this partnership is going to help on both fronts.”

Head on over to our Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM solutions page or Foodservice Online to find out more.

BIRDS EYE UNVEILS NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO ADD MAGIC TO MEALTIMES THROUGH CHICKEN RANGE

Posted on July 5, 2021July 7, 2021 by Pete.Johnson@birdseye.co.uk

Birds Eye is launching a brand-new marketing campaign to celebrate its much-loved chicken range. Launching on the 5^th July, the activity will tap into the quality and versatility of the Birds Eye products – following them being firm favourites with shoppers during the pandemic.

After an outstanding performance (+37%) over the last few years[1], the advert will introduce a new character, The Chicken Witch of the West, to help amplify the taste and versatility of the chicken range even further. The Chicken Witch of the West will be seen helping transform every meal into something delicious using Birds Eye products – all made from 100% chicken breast. To showcase the broad appeal of the range, the campaign will celebrate two parts of the range – Birds Eye’s Chicken Grills, which currently holds 56.7% of the sector[2], and Chicken Dippers, the 5^th biggest SKU within savoury frozen*[3]. To help all channels benefit from driving consumer trial, this campaign is set to embrace and build upon the growing popularity Birds Eye is experiencing with its chicken range.

Sarah Koppens, Marketing Director at Birds Eye, comments: “We saw so many buying into the frozen chicken category during the pandemic and using Birds Eye chicken products in different ways across lunch time and in creating higher quality at-home dining experiences. As a family brand, we wanted to showcase how versatile our chicken products are for children and adults alike, and to encourage shoppers to experiment with our Chicken range, by taking some inspiration from The Chicken Witch of the West.

“We developed the character’s personality to be original and funny, imaginative and relatable, so it would appeal to both families and couples. We hope her dry sense of humour and culinary comments will tempt even more people to explore the chicken range and, as a result, make mealtimes more fun for everyone.”

The advert will air in two bursts, with the focus alternating between Chicken Grills and Dippers, between early July and December and will be amplified through social and digital assets too.

[1] MAT May’17-May’21 CAGR RSV, Nielsen, Total Coverage

[2] Nielsen, Total Coverage, Frozen Poultry Grills, 52w/e 22.05.2021

[3] NielsenIQ, Total Coverage, Savoury Frozen, 52w/e 22.05.2021

BFFF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) – MONDAY 12TH JULY 2021

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

We would like to notify members that we are calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to seek approval to…

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FOOD HYGIENE RATING SCHEME (FHRS) SYSTEM CHANGES

Posted on July 1, 2021November 7, 2025 by Sarah Collison

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced it is making changes to how the FHRS system displays establishments which are included in the scheme but have not previously been published when new ratings of 0-4 are uploaded.

Currently, where there is no record for the business is already published and local authorities upload a rating of 0 – 4, no information will be published on the FHRS website for 3 – 5 weeks until the notification and appeal period have elapsed. This may happen where registration and inspection takes place simultaneously therefore the local authority does not upload and publish the establishment as awaiting inspection on the website before the rating is uploaded.

Similarly, if an appeal is lodged for a business for which no record is already published, no record will be shown until the appeal is determined. If a record is being published when the appeal is lodged, the website will show the record as ‘awaiting publication’.

The new changes are:

When a rating of 0 – 4 is uploaded and no record for the business is already published, the website will show the business as ‘awaiting inspection’ with the message ‘Recently inspected – new rating to be published soon’ until the new rating is published.
When a rating of 0 – 4 is uploaded and no record for the business is already published, and an appeal is lodged, the website will show the business as ‘awaiting publication’ until the appeal is determined and the rating published.

There are no actions or changes required for local authority systems or how data is uploaded. The above changes will automatically be dealt with by the FHRS IT system. The FHRS IT guidance will be updated to reflect the above changes in the near future.

If you have questions, contact HygieneRatings@food.gov.uk

MUSHROOM SUPPLIER TO PAY CHARITY £54,880.33 FOR IGNORING PACKAGING REGULATIONS

Posted on July 1, 2021November 7, 2025 by Sarah Collison

The Environment Agency has accepted an Enforcement Undertaking from a Worcestershire-based fresh mushroom supplier who broke packaging regulations.

Walsh Mushrooms Group of Vale Park, Evesham, is now working within the rules and has made a payment of £54,880.3 to the Marine Conservation Society to make amends for the failures. The company, based in Co Wexford in the Republic of Ireland, admitted they had not registered under packaging regulations between 2007-2017 and failed to implement proper recycling practices.

Officers from the Environment Agency estimated that the company handled nearly 9,000 tonnes of packaging during that period.

The legislation is designed to ensure companies take a responsible approach to packaging materials.

Beth Haste, a regulatory officer for the Environment Agency, said:

“Enforcement Undertakings are an effective enforcement tool used by the Environment Agency to enable businesses to address breaches of environmental legislation and contribute to environmental projects.

“We are increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to bring businesses into compliance with environmental legislation and requirements, and to protect the environment. However, we will prosecute or impose monetary penalties in appropriate cases.”

Jenny Griffiths, Education Manager for the Marine Conservation Society, said:

“The enforcement undertaking from Walsh Mushrooms is being used to research, design and create new education materials to inspire action and ocean friendly behaviours from consumers and businesses throughout England.”

To report any environmental issues to the Environment Agency’s 24 hour incident hotline, call 0800 80 70 60.

A few reasons to become a member of BFFF

To find out more about becoming a member call 01400 283 095 or email the team

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BFFF energy deals and rates
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Company Shop – membership
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Exclusive access to networking opportunities and events:

Meet the Buyer events (retail & foodservice)
Annual Business Conference with networking dinner
Specialist H&S and Technical Conferences
Special interest groups (packaging, frozen food temperatures)
Annual Lunch
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We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to BFFF members across our events throughout the year, with flexible packages that can be tailored to suit your business objectives.

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