Page 416 — British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF)

CALL FOR MEMBERS INTERESTED IN RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION TAGS (RFID) PROJECT

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

For those of you who attended this year’s virtual BFFF Technical Conference, you may well remember listening to Nik Watson, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Nottingham University.

Nik’s research is focussed on digital manufacturing within the food and drink sector and his team develops intelligent sensor technologies to tackle some of the biggest challenges around sustainability, food safety, hygiene and productivity.

A focus of Nik’s research is developing sensor and data analysis methods and he has now reached out to us to see if any BFFF members would be interested in speaking to them in relation to a project they are currently working on with Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID).

If this is something you are working on or are interested in and would like to be put in touch with Nik then please contact deniserion@bfff.co.uk

CONSISTENCY IS A WINNING FORMULA FOR AULDS DELICIOUS DESSERTS

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Nada Mackenzie

In most areas of business, you are only as good as your last product or last delivery so performing well consistently is key to success. During the pandemic, life has been particularly hard for companies supplying the foodservice market and hence at Aulds Delicious Desserts where the focus is on own label products for the Foodservice Market and has been for the last 53 years, it has been very rewarding for the company to have it confirmed that they continue to develop and produce outstanding products, with a product they manufacture again taking the Foodservice Product of the Year Award at the latest BFFF Annual Awards.

Whilst technology, techniques and markets may have changed over the years Aulds Delicious Desserts’ commitment to the finest standards in hand-crafted desserts, cakes, sweets, patisserie, and customer service has not. By drawing on the skills developed and refined by generations of bakers and confectioners they consistently develop new ideas that foodservice clients find so appealing ensuring they remain at the leading edge in this sector.

In this year’s event Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading wholesalers, were awarded the prestigious 2020 BFFF (British Frozen Food Federation) Foodservice Product of the Year for their “Premium Selection” Chocolate and Clementine Dessert, manufactured by Aulds Delicious Desserts. The product is both Vegan and Gluten Free making it an ideal dessert for the hospitality sector, being frozen and pre portioned for that perfect serving. Bidfood also won silver for their Baked Crème Brulee Cheesecake in the Best New Foodservice Dessert / Ice Cream / Confectionery product again manufactured by Aulds Delicious Desserts

Aulds Delicious Desserts have won numerous awards for their products over many years, however quite appropriately as an own label supplier the company has always believed that the products should be the ones that make the statement!

For more detail on this Bidfood product, please call Bidfood on 0370 3663 000, or for information relating to Aulds Delicious Desserts contact the company on 0141 812 1126.

48% FUEL SAVING DRIVES HUNTAPAC’S SWITCH TO THERMO KING’S ADVANCER

Posted on June 2, 2021 by

Five new G&A trailers with fuel efficient Advancer A400 units from Marshall Fleet Solutions added to Huntapac trailer fleet

Improved efficiencies, increased sustainability and, most of all, proven fuel economy are the key drivers behind Huntapac Produce Ltd taking five new additional G&A refrigerated trailers that have been fitted with Thermo King’s brand-new Advancer A400 refrigeration systems for the first time.

This five reefer trailer deal, supplied via Huntapac’s preferred trailer supplier TIP Trailer Services, in conjunction with long term TK dealer Marshall Fleet Solutions, resulted from the West Lancashire company running one of MFS’s Advancer demonstration trailers in its fleet. Operating in the busy pre-Christmas December trading period, the MFS Advancer trailer returned 48% fuel savings in comparison with other similar fleet trailers running alternative refrigeration systems on the same routes.

Commenting on now specifying Thermo King systems in their trailer fleet, Joanne Cleece, head of transport at Huntapac Produce Ltd said, “Across the whole spectrum of our tractor unit and trailer fleet, we are looking to increase the overall fleet fuel efficiency going forward, specifically to offset the continually rising costs of fuel. We were keen to try the Advancer system as soon as it was launched to see whether TK’s Advancer fuel cost claims were justified.”

Joanne continues, “Working closely with both TIP and Marshall Fleet Solutions, we were the first company to run the MFS Advancer demonstration trailer in the UK. Within the trial period, based on our running profile of 1500 hours per annum, the fuel savings were exceptional, in comparison to our existing reefer trailers fitted with the equivalent incumbent systems. In addition, the Advancer performance stats also indicated a substantial environmental benefit too with significant savings in CO² output per unit. Instantly we realised that Advancer was going to be a game changer, not just for our future refrigerated trailer fleet but for the industry in general.”

In early 2021, Huntapac were looking to increase their trailer fleet to cope with the additional customer volumes and added a further five new Gray & Adams single temperature refrigerated trailers, with each one specified with an Advancer A400 system. These new trailers are now based at the company’s West Lancashire production facility and were supplied on a contract hire deal through TIP Trailer Services, with Marshall Fleet Solutions handling the Advancer refrigeration system service and maintenance support during the trailer’s working life.

“For many years now our trailer fleet has been wholly based on non-Thermo King systems. This recent switch over to Thermo King Advancer systems is a big change for the company however it has been based on strict operational performance out on the road. The MFS Advancer demonstration trailer was put straight into our fleet literally as soon as it arrived and was working during our busiest trading time, running full loads of carrots and other root vegetables, and with no special preferential treatment,” said Joanne Cleece.

Joanne adds, “The results spoke for themselves. MFS were able to give us full and accurate detailed performance data during the trial period, as well as identifying the significant fuel, environmental and operational cost savings that were achieved.”

Huntapac is a fourth-generation family run company first established in 1942, and they specialise in the growing, packing and distribution of a variety of root vegetables, brassicas, salads and organic vegetables. Based in Tarleton, West Lancashire, Huntapac currently run a fleet of 66 tractor units, 66 refrigerated trailers, of which 20 are dual temperature and 40 are single temperature, and 40 bulk trailers.

“One of the most challenging elements of running a transport fleet is the cost of fuel which impacts on every operator. As part of its programme to increase its fleets’ overall fuel efficiency, Huntapac worked closely with MFS to see whether Advancer could play a significant future role in their refrigerated trailer fleet. Advancer soon proved itself out on the road and we are really pleased to now be actively involved with Huntapac as part of this ongoing fleet efficiency initiative,” said Mark Howell, managing director, Marshall Fleet Solutions.

Further information about the full range of Thermo King Advancer transport refrigeration systems from Marshall Fleet Solutions can be viewed on the MFS website at www.marshallfleetsolutions.co.uk

SCALA CONSULTING PARTNERS WITH FARESHARE TO HELP FEED THE NATION

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Les Golden

International supply chain and logistics consultancy SCALA has partnered with food redistribution charity FareShare to assist the organisation with its logistics strategy.

Through the partnership, SCALA has supported FareShare on a wide range of complex issues, such as how the charity could manage the major increase in received food volumes over the past year as well as how the not-for-profit can manage the volumes that are anticipated to grow in the future. FareShare’s team of 2000 volunteers has distributed the equivalent of 132 million meals with a value to the charities it serves of £18 million in the last year.

FareShare is the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, with more than 30 warehouses across the UK. The charity takes food from the food industry that cannot be sold in shops because of packaging errors, short shelf life, or overproduction and redistributes it through a network of over 11,000 frontline organisations, including homeless hostels, school breakfast clubs, domestic violence refuges, older people’s lunch clubs, food banks, and hospices.

 SCALA has assisted FareShare by analysing the efficiency of the organisation’s entire supply chain strategy.

The challenges that SCALA had to take into consideration for this strategy included, the difficulties for FareShare in forecasting volumes; the need to be extremely responsive and agile and dealing with the variety of products the charity distributes including frozen, ambient and chilled goods. Furthermore, the business also had to take into account the need to minimise any food waste within the FareShare network, by rapidly moving donations to charities right across the country.

FareShare has more than doubled its work since the pandemic, providing the equivalent of more than two million meals a week to people who struggle to get enough to eat.

Dave Howorth, executive director at SCALA said: “FareShare operates in a highly challenging logistics environment, particularly with the many unknowns around supply and the need for extreme responsiveness to minimise food waste and maximise the availability of food to those in need.

“We have been able to work alongside FareShare over the past few months and have supported the organisation in navigating some of these challenges. It’s been great to support FareShare in helping further the organisations’ mission to get food to those that need it across the UK.”

Jo Dyson, head of food at FareShare said: “We are delighted to be working with SCALA and really appreciate their support for FareShare. They have really taken the time to understand us, both as a charity with scarce resources and in terms of the additional challenges that come from managing surplus products where the supply chain is so much harder to predict. They have provided us with independent expertise and good insights as to how we should progress, and they are continuing to help us on our mission.”

For more information about SCALA, please visit https://www.scalagroup.co.uk/.

For more information about FareShare, please visit https://fareshare.org.uk/.

NEW EFSA GUIDANCE FOR FOOD SUPPLIERS ON INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS

Posted on May 28, 2021November 7, 2025 by Sarah Collison

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have issued new guidance to help food suppliers decide what information to give consumers about storing food and time limits for consumption.

Once food packaging has been opened, bacteria can be transferred to food by contaminated hands, surfaces, or equipment. Setting a time limit for consumption is complex, but this guidance aims to assist food suppliers in deciding whether it is appropriate to give consumers other instructions in addition to the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ dates.

The guidance also includes advice on good practices for defrosting food safely such as thawing at low temperatures, keeping thawed food in the original packaging or clean container, consumers following manufacturer’s storage and preparation instructions and not re-freezing after thawing.

You can download the guidance here

Also, in December 2020, experts developed a tool to help food business operators decide when to apply the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date to their products, which members may find useful.

TRUSSEL TRUST REPORT ON THE STATE OF HUNGER IN THE UK

Posted on May 28, 2021November 7, 2025 by Sarah Collison

The Trussell Trust have recently published a report revealing the extreme poverty faced by people at food banks going into the pandemic. The state of hunger: building the evidence on poverty, destitution and food insecurity in the UK is based on a study carried out by Heriot-Watt University and aims to help us to understand the scale of hunger and destitution in the UK and learn how we can work together to build a hunger free future.

The report reveals that there has been 28% increase in the number of households, a 30% increase in the number of adults and a 49% in the number of children being supported by food banks in 2019-2020 compared with 2018-2019.

You can download the report here

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

Join BFFF

Member profile on BFFF website

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Free listing in the annual Member Directory

Access to latest industry news and information

Weekly newsletter, press and media opportunities

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Networking via opportunities at BFFF events

Free market data provided by Circana and World Panel

Access to industry specialists

Expert guidance from Technical and Health & Safety teams

Access to Primary Authority schemes and assured advice

H&S Audit Service/Advice

Free access to HR and legal guidance and advice line

Training and Education

Member Benefits

Exclusive Partnership deals on key products and services:

BFFF energy deals and rates
Vypr member deals and introduction
Defib Plus deals
Company Shop – membership
Mentor – MHE training health check

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
Awards Night

Become a member

Sponsorship Packages

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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Wakefield Council

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Kantar Worldpanel

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Meadow Vale Foods Limited

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Newberry International Produce Ltd

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Seara

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