The report from the 17th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods which took take place in Panama City, has now been published.  

The session which ran from 15th to 19 April 2024 was attended by 54 Member countries, one Member organisation and 7 Observer organisations, with the option to listen in remotely. Several working group meetings took place prior to the session with a view to facilitating discussion and decision-making on the day. Some of the topics discussed included: 

• Maximum levels for lead in certain food categories 
• Sampling plans for methylmercury in fish 
• Sampling plans for total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in certain spices  
• Definition of ready-to-eat peanuts and establishing a maximum level for total aflatoxins. 
• Prevention and reduction of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts 
• Acrylamide in foods 
• Development of a Code of Practice for prevention and reduction of cadmium contamination. 

The report along with the relevant accompanying papers can be accessed here.

The Member States of the EU have endorsed a proposal from the Commission to not renew the authorisation of 8 smoke flavourings for food. After a phase-out period, these flavourings will no longer be permitted for use in the EU. 

The relevant decisions are based on scientific assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which concluded that for all eight smoke flavourings assessed, genotoxicity concerns are either confirmed or can’t be ruled out. EFSA’s opinion is based on an updated methodology, assessing new data submitted by the applicants. It concerns the specific flavourings which can be added to food, and not the food itself. 

Following extensive discussions with Member States and stakeholders, the Regulation sets out different phase-out periods to give time for producers and operators to adapt to the new rules. When used to replace traditional smoking (e.g. hams, fish, cheeses) the phase-out period is 5 years. For uses where the smoke flavouring is added for extra flavour (e.g. soups, crisps, sauces), the phase-out period will be 2 years. According to the Commission website, the Regulation will be formally adopted in the coming weeks, to enter into force later this spring.

With the announcement of a general election, the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) outlines its wants and needs from a new government.

Rupert Ashby, chief executive of the BFFF, said: “Our industry has a key role to play in tackling several of the key challenges that will be on the new government’s agenda. Easing the cost of living crisis, for example, encouraging healthier lifestyles, and meeting the UK’s environmental targets.

“We’re keen to see the new administration take action to support the industry in achieving these aims, and we’ve laid out the key priorities. They include reforming tax policies to make frozen foods more affordable, sustainable and accessible; investing in innovation; cutting red tape; developing a skilled workforce and improving public perception of frozen food.”

Here is the nine-point manifesto for a new government from the BFFF’s perspective:

Frozen Food Industry Manifesto

1. Promote frozen food as a healthy, convenient, affordable, and sustainable choice through public education campaigns, countering the perception that frozen is inferior to fresh.
2. Recognise and promote the role frozen food has in reducing food waste – which is responsible for 10% of UK greenhouse gas emissions – thanks to manufacturing efficiencies and products staying ‘fresher’ for longer in the freezer.
3. Streamline regulations around food labelling and packaging to reduce complexity and costs for frozen food manufacturers and ultimately the consumer.
4. Revisit the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) scheme to account for the low availability of food-grade recycled plastic content packaging, sourcing of which places an unfair burden on food manufacturers when striving to meet recycling targets.
5. Offer incentives for researching and developing innovative freezing technologies to further improve the consumer experience and extend shelf life.
6. Ensure that guidance and legislation allow for storage temperature changes across the supply chain to enhance the frozen food industry’s sustainability credentials.
7. Provide tax incentives and subsidies for companies investing in energy-efficient freezing and refrigeration equipment. This would help the industry reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs.
8. Streamline importing and exporting processes and reduce the administrative and financial burden for businesses. Ensure sufficient infrastructure and resources are in place to support traders.
9. Invest in workforce training programs and apprenticeships and revise the Shortage Occupation List to include seasonal workers, which could help ease labour shortages in the food supply chain by increasing the supply of overseas workers.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in the Midlands is delighted to announce an exclusive opportunity to hear all about the benefits of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) for Agriculture, Agritech, Food and Drink companies in the Latin American countries of Chile, Mexico and Peru.

With UK exports to current CPTPP members forecast to increase 65% by 2030, this partnership offers huge potential for UK trade with overseas markets. This is thanks to the fact that 99.9% of UK products will be eligible for tariff-free trade, with lower tariffs also secured for other exports, such as lamb, poultry, beef, and dairy. The UK is the first European country to join the CPTPP, after it concluded negotiations on 31 March 2023.

Session details:

Delivered by Daisy Knox, DBT’s Deputy Head of Policy / LATAC Lead – FTA Utilisation, this briefing session will help you understand:

• The key provisions of the CPTPP.
• How you can make the most of its opportunities to sell your products or services to the CPTPP’s Latin American members – Chile, Mexico, and Peru.
• How joining the CPTPP will allow UK goods manufacturers to benefit from cheaper access to imported machinery parts, zero tariffs on final exported products, as well as digital measures supportive of future technologies.
• How the agreement compliments existing Free Trade Agreements with some of these CPTPP members.

The session will include a Q&A so you can ask specific questions.

About the region and sector opportunities

The three Latin American CPTPP members have a population of 179m out of the total CPTPP population of over 500 million people – a young, highly educated, and entrepreneurial group which is creating new engines of growth and has growing demand for UK products.

In Q2-2023, the year-on-year increase in exports from the UK to Latin America reached 34%. Including the UK, CPTPP will have a combined GDP of £12 trillion.

Mexico

• Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Mexico was £5.9 billion, in current prices, in 2022.
• There are opportunities and reduction in tariffs in the new trade deal for Dairy, Beef, Pork, Poultry, Lamb, Coffee, Potatoes, Apples and Cereal.

Peru

• The UK signed a continuity deal with Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador in May 2019. The UK-Andean agreement secures preferential trading conditions for all four countries, where total trade in goods and services was £5.8 billion in 2022.
• Peru’s economy accounted for £3.5 billion worth of UK trade in 2022.
• There are proposed tariff reductions in Peru for Beef, Poultry, Garlic, Mushrooms, Sweetcorn and Rum.

Chile

• Chile was the first country with which the United Kingdom signed a continuity trade agreement, a temporary treaty designed to guarantee the continuation of trade between both countries after the Brexit transition period.
• Total UK exports to Chile amounted to £1.1 billion, in current prices, in 2022.
• There are proposed tariff reductions in Chile for Dairy, Fish, Sugar and Molasses Products.

Producers of these products will need the equipment to boost their production when they secure bigger orders in any of these CPTPP markets.

Registration:

To register your interest in attending this session and learn more about how the CPTPP can benefit your business, please click here.