We would like to inform members that as of 1st September 2022, French authorities have begun to introduce sampling as part of official controls at their Border Control Posts (BCPs) for Products of Animal Origin (POAO) exported from Great Britain to the EU.

The introduction does not represent a change to EU law, but the implementation of existing requirements as per Official Controls Regulation (OCR) (Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/625)

This sampling is an additional element of the existing physical checks undertaken at French BCPs and means that a defined percentage of consignments will be subject to sampling as part of existing official control procedures.

We recommend you check with your Official Vets which products and percentages are subject to sampling from 1st September 2022.

The introduction of sampling will follow a phased approach, as detailed in the full briefing note here.

Each phase will see additional commodity types brought into the scope of sampling. The percentage of consignments subject to sampling for commodities introduced in phases two and three is to be confirmed.

 

We are pleased to inform members that the Government has announced an expansion to the autonomous tariff quota (ATQ) on imports of cold-water prawn products into the UK.

This expansion (order no. 05.2795) provides an extra volume of 3,200 tonnes on top of anything imported under order no. 05.2794 (which has a volume of 6,500 tonnes) and will apply for the period 13 October 2022 – 31 December 2022.

You will recall in June this year, BFFF, supported by the UK Seafood Industry Alliance, wrote to the Rt Hon George Eustice MP, requesting a review of the quota (order no 05.2794). Despite the challenges we have faced over the last few months, not least with the appointment of a new Prime Minister and cabinet, we have continued to push for urgent resolution on this matter.

Tariff suspensions and tariff quotas are in place to ensure that the UK seafood processing industry has access to a steady supply of imported raw material at a competitive price. They cover raw materials that are unavailable domestically and need to be imported.

However, due to unprecedented usage of the quota, for example because of the lack of a trade agreement with Greenland, the quota was nearing exhaustion. The fear was that this would mean processors would be forced to import at the full rate of duty of 20%, an extra cost that may have then been passed onto the consumer.

In reality, as the Christmas period loomed, many processors purchased additional stock before the ATQ ran out, and consequently, have incurred huge charges for additional storage. This could now mean that as their inventories are high, the new ATQ may not be fully utilised by the end of the year.

But, on the other hand, the Government has yet to seal a trade deal with Greenland and with the change of Prime Minister and cabinet this can only add further delay to negotiations and renewed concerns going into 2023. However, we are informed that an announcement about the volume of ATQ order no. 05.2794 for 2023 is to follow. We will keep you updated.

Further detail of the new ATQ, including commodity codes, can be found on the DIT website.

 

 

Further to our article earlier this week  regarding possible strike action at French BCPs, we are pleased to confirm that agreements have been reached between French Government and the unions meaning that strike action will now NOT go ahead.

Taking learnings from this, should members feel they are overly reliant on one BCP point of entry then we would recommend they reach out to Unsworth who would be happy to assist.

Once again, to remind you, if you haven’t already done so, it is also worthwhile following Unsworth and their Port Users Forum Port Users Forum on LinkedIn.

After the ONS[1] recently announced that almost half (48%) of adults are struggling to pay their energy bills, Iceland is showing its customers easy switches they can make to help save energy costs and save hot dinners this autumn.

Earlier this year, Iceland partnered with energy provider Utilita to help determine the most cost-effective way of cooking, the study found air-fryers to be one of the most cost-efficient appliances and so Iceland has begun to include air fryer cooking instructions on product packaging, helping customers save over £3 a meal.

By making a simple switch to an air fryer, customers can save 89p cooking up one of Iceland’s most popular products, the delicious Crispy Chicken Breast Fillet Strips (£3.50, 600g). Cooked in a traditional oven, home-cooks are looking at an energy cost of £1.05 and 20-25 minute cooking time. But by using their air-fryer they can see the time slashed by half and the energy cost reduced to just 16p.

But it’s not just mid-week meals that can be saved, a Sunday roast can see energy-costs reduced by 80% by roasting Iceland’s Butter Basted Chicken Breast Joint (£4.50, 525g). Cooked for 1 hour 30 mins in an electric oven will see your Sunday dinner cost an additional £3.78 in energy, but popped in an air fryer for less than an hour (50 mins) will see a cost of just 65p.

 

Product	Oven cost to cook	Air Fryer cost to cook	Saving
Iceland Crispy Chicken Breast Fillet Strips	£1.05 (20-25 minutes)	16p (10-12 minutes)	89p
Iceland Butter Basted Chicken Breast Joint	£3.78 (1 hour 30 minutes)	65p (50 minutes)	£3.13
Iceland 4 Breaded Cod Fillets	£1.05 (25 minutes)	29p (22 minutes)	76p
Iceland Luxury Caramelised Onion & Pork Sausages	£1.26 (30 minutes)	38p (12-24 minutes)	88p
Chiquito® 12 Halloumi Sticks & Jalapeño Dip	59p (14 minutes)	16p (10-12 minutes)	43p

 

Iceland’s chefs have been trialling different recipes to help cut costs even more. A Luxury Roast Beef dinner – with mash, green beans and gravy – costs just 47p to cook in an air fryer, and a classic fry up just 26p.

Some of the comforting treats that are perfect to cook in the energy efficient appliance includes Iceland’s Luxury Pork Sausages (£4.00, 10 pack), the sumptuous Whole Chicken Breast Garlic and Herb Kievs (£4.00, 320g) and Luxury Caramelised Onion and Pork Sausages (£4.00, 10 pack) – all available in Iceland’s ongoing 3 for £10 deal, making one sausage just 33p!

Iceland’s first-of-its kind partnership with Utilita showed that as well as air fryers and slow cookers, microwaves are one of the most energy-efficient ways to cook. With the average British households spending approximately 43 minutes cooking each day and almost half (42%) admitting to using the oven by default for the main part of their cooking needs, it’s no wonder that the average electric oven costs £316.54 a year to use.

To help shoppers get the most out of their freezers, Iceland has created some delicious dinner recipes to help save energy costs:

• Air Fryer Halloumi Burger – Cost to cook: 35p
• Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding – Cost to cook: 26p
• Indian Pakora Wraps – Cost to cook: 17p
• Criss Cross Nachos – cost to cook: 32p
• Air Fry Up – Cost to cook: 26p
• Air Fryer Roast Beef – Cost to cook: 47p

Shoppers can also keep plates piled high for less as the nights draw in with Iceland Casserole Vegetables (£1.00, 1kg), Iceland Floret and Carrot Mix (£1.00, 900g) and Iceland Perfect Mashed Potato (£1.00, 700g) all just £1. Each serving (80g) of Iceland’s Casserole Vegetables will cost just 8p and a 100g serving of Perfect Mashed Potatoes is just 7p, meaning families can eat well without breaking the bank this autumn and winter.

For more information about Iceland’s ongoing deals, head to: www.Iceland.co.uk.

[1] Almost half households struggling to afford energy bills – ONS | The Independent

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has recently shared information on the energy bills support for businesses, the public sector and households.

Below are the top-line details of the announcement:

Support for non-domestic customers

• A new Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a discount on the wholesale price of gas and electricity. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.
• This support will be available to all non-domestic customers, including all UK businesses, the voluntary sector, such as charities, and the public sector, such as schools and hospitals.
• To administer support, the Government has set a Supported Wholesale Price – expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter – which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity.
• The scheme will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022, as well as to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts.
• It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, running for an initial six-month period. Savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November.
• As with the Energy Price Guarantee for households, customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme to access the support. Support (in the form of a p/kWh discount) will automatically be applied to bills.
• After three months, there will be a review into the operation of the scheme, to inform decisions on further support after March 2023.

The level of price reduction for each business will depend on their contract type and circumstances. For further information, please see the full press notice.

A parallel scheme, based on the same criteria and offering comparable support, but recognising the different market fundamentals, will be established in Northern Ireland.

Equivalent support will also be provided for those not connected to either the gas or electricity grid, who use heating oil or alternative fuels. Further details will be announced shortly.

 

Support for households in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• The announcement follows the launch of the Energy Price Guarantee for households in Great Britain. This will ensure that, from 1 October, a typical household will pay on average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years.
• The guarantee supersedes the existing price cap, limiting the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity. It also accounts for the Exchequer temporarily funding environmental and social costs, including green levies, for two years.
• Based on energy prices from October, this will save the average household £1000 per year.
• This support comes in addition to the announced £400 energy bills discount for all households, which, when combined with the Energy Price Guarantee, will bring costs close to where the energy price cap currently stands.

Targeted support

• The Government also announced that the Energy Bills Support Scheme, offering a £400 discount to households, starting from October will be available to the 1% of households who would not otherwise have received this support.
• This includes those such as park home residents and those whose landlords pay for their energy via a commercial contract.
• The Government will also provide an additional payment of £100 to all households across the UK who are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee. This might be because they live in an area of the UK that is not served by the gas grid and is to compensate for the rising costs of alternative fuels such as heating oil.

Support for Northern Ireland

• The Business Secretary has also confirmed equivalent support for households in Northern Ireland, via the Northern Ireland Energy Price Guarantee.
• Households in NI will also receive a £400 discount on their bills, through the Northern Ireland Energy Support Scheme.