The Food Industry Intelligence Network (Fiin) has recently launched an SME Support Hub, a free resource designed to help small and medium-sized businesses protect against food fraud and strengthen supply chain integrity. 

The Hub brings together practical tools and intelligence to make it easier for SMEs to put the right control measures in place and protect their business and customers. 

Key features include: 

• Commodity watchlist – quarterly insights on vulnerabilities and risks. 

• Understanding food fraud – food fraud definitions and examples 

• Guides & resources – practical, cost-effective tools for smaller businesses. 

• News & events – updates on the latest developments. 

• Reporting tools – safe and confidential links to regulators. 

Access is completely free – you just need to register the first time you log in: 

https://www.fiin.co.uk/sme-hub  

The European Commission have now published the November report on agri-food fraud suspicions.  

These monthly reports include ‘non-compliances with fraud suspicions’ of cross-border nature identified and shared between members of the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) and retrieved from its three components: the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed network (RASFF), the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN). 

Non-compliances with fraud suspicions affecting one single Member State are not shared in the ACN and therefore not reported within these monthly reports. 

The monthly reports cover food, feedingstuff, materials and articles intended to come into contact directly or indirectly with food, animal welfare issues for farmed animals, plant protection products, veterinary medicinal products and other inputs that may end in the form of residues and contaminants in food and feed. 

The monthly reports do not reconcile data and suspicions related to the following subjects: 

• animal and plant health, 

• release into the environment of Genetically Modified Organisms, 

• animal welfare for companion animals, 

• placing on the market and use of plant protection products, veterinary medicinal products and other inputs that are not ending as residues and contaminants in food and feed, and 

• animal by-products and derived products when they not intended to be used for oral feeding to animals. 

 

Read the report in full here 

 

The European Commission is simplifying and streamlining EU laws across all policies, including in the areas of food and feed safety, animals and plants. This is part of its broader strategy to make EU regulations more efficient, while maintaining high safety and welfare standards. 

The Simplification Package was proposed by the Commission to streamline and simplify food and feed legislation in specific areas. It focuses on reducing unnecessary administrative costs and burdens for agri-food producers and operators and national authorities. 

Among the key measures proposed are: 

• faster procedures to give bio-control products market access 

• more targeted and efficient renewal procedures for pesticides and biocides 

• more targeted and efficient renewal procedures for feed additive authorisations 

• digital labelling options for feed additives 

• streamlined measures for fermentation products produced using GMMs. 

• stronger import rules for pesticide residues, to ensure a level playing field 

• simplified accreditation rules for official laboratories 

• a more pragmatic approach to border controls for plant products 

• adapted bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance and risk mitigation requirements. 

In a recent press release, the Commission stated that the simplifications proposed could save over €1 billion in administrative and compliance costs, including over €428 million annually for EU businesses (€227 million for SMEs), as well as €661 million annually for national and EU administrations. This includes annual administrative savings amounting to €939 million for both businesses and national administrations and €150 million in compliance costs for business. 

You can read more here: Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package  

 

The Chilled Food Association (CFA) and European Commission (EC) have both published updated guidance to help food businesses comply with assimilated Regulation 2073/2005 (as it applies in England, Wales and Scotland) and  EC Regulation 2073/2005 (as it applies in Northern Ireland) by ensuring Ready-to-Eat (RTE) foods remain safe throughout their shelf life.   

The EU published Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895 on 20 November 2024 which came into effect on 10 December 2024. The Regulation will apply in the EU and Northern Ireland (NI) from 1 July 2026.    

The regulation amends Chapter 1, criterion 1.2.(b) of Annex 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) 2073/2005. It states Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) must not be detected in 25g during the shelf-life of the RTE product placed on the market, as opposed to the current requirement of before the food has left the immediate control of the food business.  

The amendment does not affect application of Chapter 1 criterion 1.2 (a) which is applied by the FBO when they are able to demonstrate (to the satisfaction of the competent authority), that levels of listeria monocytogenes in the product placed on the market will not exceed 100 cfu/g Lm throughout its shelf-life.  

As a member of the Industry Listeria Group of stakeholders, chaired by the CFA, the British Frozen Food Federation are proud to support the publication of this guidance. 

The CFA guidance can be downloaded here along with the EC guidance here. 

The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have launched a consultation to hear stakeholder’s thoughts about a proposed ban on keeping laying hens, pullets and breeder layers in cages. 

On behalf of the UK Government, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive, the public consultation seeks views on proposed amendments to the legislation, which are as follows:  

• From 2027, a ban on the building or bringing into service for the first time any enriched ‘colony’ cage system for the keeping of laying hens (including those in establishments with fewer than 350 birds) and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers; 

• From 2027, a ban on the use of existing conventional ‘battery’ cages for the keeping of laying hens in establishments with fewer than 350 birds; and 

• From 2032, a ban on the use of existing enriched ‘colony’ cages for the keeping of laying hens (including those in establishments with fewer than 350 birds) and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers. 

In 1999, conventional ‘battery’ cages for laying hens (for keepers with 350 or more birds) were banned throughout the European Union, including in the UK, but with a 12-year transition period to 1 January 2012 before the ban came into full effect. Due to the small size and barren environment, conventional ‘battery’ cages severely compromised the welfare of laying hens. However, this ban only targeted commercial scale producers and so keepers with fewer than 350 laying hens were excluded. 

Whilst enriched ‘colony’ cages are an improvement on conventional ‘battery’ cages, they still do not fully provide for the physical and behavioural needs of laying hens. The enriched ‘colony’ cage system restricts choice, preventing access to the ground and other levels, and limiting the ability to run, flap wings, dustbathe or forage.      

Breeder layers and pullets are not currently within scope of the cage requirements in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, and their Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish equivalents. 

The consultation will also seek to collect practical and logistical information from relevant stakeholders.   

If you wish to take part in the consultation, you can do so here.  

All responses should be submitted by 9th March 2026.  

 

Members may be interested in attending the “Agri-tech and Food Technology in Eastern England Innovation Showcase” event being held at the KingsGate Conference Centre in Peterborough on March 18th. 

This is a FREE joint event, based on Agritech East of England Launchpad funding projects with a showcase of new tech and innovations across the sector promising a fantastic mix of presentations, pitches, panels, and demos. 

Companies and innovators will showcase their pioneering products and technologies, providing attendees the chance to connect with key players in their local industry, investors, and potential future partners who are looking to explore and adopt innovation. The event is open to the UK-wide Agri-Food community to exchange ideas, forge strategic partnerships, and explore innovation opportunities. 

Event highlights 

• Keynote presentation 

• Pitches from Launchpad-funded Businesses 

• Panel discussions on Growth Strategies for Agri-food Innovation: Investment & Commercialisation 

• Technology exhibitions 

• Networking opportunities 

Location: KingsGate Conference Centre/Peterborough/  

Date: 9am-230pm/ 18 March.    

Book your tickets here: https://buytickets.at/ukfoodvalley/1985677 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has appointed Professor Ian Young as its Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). 

Professor Young joins the FSA in a part-time capacity, whilst maintaining his current role of Consultant Chemical Pathologist at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Professor of Medicine at Queen’s University in Belfast, where he previously directed the Centre for Public Health.   

He currently serves as Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Health, Northern Ireland, Director of Research for Health and Social Care, Northern Ireland and chairs the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. He will step down from these positions upon joining the FSA.   

Throughout his career, Professor Young has held leadership positions in major scientific organisations, including Past-President of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, UK. He previously chaired both the Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine and the Scientific Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.   

Professor Young will become the fourth FSA CSA, taking over from Professor Robin May, who left the FSA in September 2025 following his appointment as Interim Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).   

The FSA Chief Scientific Advisor is responsible for:  

• the integrity of processes used to source scientific evidence and ensuring expert scientific advice is available to the agency  

• representing the agency in the community of departmental Chief Scientific Advisers and the wider scientific community  

• championing science within the agency through developing its scientists’ expertise.  

The CSA also has overall responsibility for all analytical disciplines from which the agency draws advice, including natural and physical sciences, social science, economics, operational research and statistics.  

 

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) recently presented to Parliament a policy paper setting out the Animal Welfare Strategy for England.  

This strategy sets out the UK Government’s priorities for England, focusing on the changes and improvements they aim to achieve by 2030. Using a new integrated approach, the government say they will deliver sustainable and embedded improvements to animal welfare in England.  

Additionally, they state that working across departments, the government will work in partnership with key stakeholders, charities, experts, enforcement bodies, and industry from across the different sectors to ensure as many animals as possible have the highest welfare standards at every stage of their life. 

The key messages in the strategy include: 

• Establishing a regulatory framework and providing a clear direction of travel. 

• Working in partnership with industry and others. 

• Underpinning with an effective enforcement strategy. 

• Reforms across four key areas: companion animals, wild animals, farmed animals and internationally. 

• Consulting on phasing out the use of cages in farming. 

• Moving away from the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) to stun pigs. 

• Introducing standards for the humane killing of fish. 

While the actions focus on England, some policies are relevant to other parts of the UK. Defra have stated that they will continue to work closely with Devolved Governments on animal welfare matters to take coordinated action where appropriate. 

Read the policy paper in full here