Page 43 — British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF)

AVIAN INFLUENZA – LATEST SITUATION

Posted on October 1, 2025January 9, 2026 by Denise Rion

During the month of September, following successful completion of disease control activities, several protection zones across Great Britain have now ended and surveillance zones have been revoked.

The risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is still however assessed as high (event occurs very often).

The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as:

medium (event occurs regularly) (with medium uncertainty) where there is suboptimal or poor biosecurity
low (event is rare but does occur) (with low uncertainty) where stringent biosecurity is consistently applied at all times

Details of the evidence that supported these decisions can be found here:

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advise that bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Regular updates on the latest situation can be found here

ANAPHYLAXIS UK 2025 BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM – TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

Posted on October 1, 2025January 9, 2026 by Denise Rion

We are delighted to share the news that Anaphylaxis UK have teamed up with the University of Birmingham to host their Business Symposium this year.

Taking place on 12th November at The Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre in Birmingham, this event will feature in-depth presentations, case studies, and interactive discussions covering critical topics such as allergen detection and testing, effective risk management, mental health impacts, regulatory developments and incident response strategies.

Serious allergies and anaphylaxis pose complex challenges across healthcare, food safety, workplace management and public health. This conference will bring together leading experts, industry professionals, policymakers and individuals with lived experience to share cutting-edge research, practical solutions and real-world insights.

For more information and to reserve your seat please click here

DEFRA PUBLISH Q4 2024 PESTICIDE RESIDUES MONITORING REPORT

Posted on October 1, 2025January 9, 2026 by Denise Rion

Defra have recently published the Q4 2024 report on the pesticide residues monitoring programme.

HSE undertakes screening and detailed risk assessments, as required, for the pesticide residues found. This is to determine whether the residues present could lead to someone eating an amount above a level that is considered safe. HSE also produces detailed risk assessments for every case where the actual residue level found could lead to an intake above the safety levels.

During the 2024 surveillance programme, up to 417 different pesticides in each of the foods surveyed, were measured. The Quarter 4 programme for Great Britain (GB) surveyed 543 samples of 23 different foods and the Quarter 4 programme for Northern Ireland (NI) surveyed 228 samples of 23 different foods. All samples were collected between the beginning of October and the end of December 2024.

Of the 543 Q4 GB samples, residues were found in 250 of them and of these, 8 samples contained residues over the Maximum Residue Level (MRL). Of the 228 Q4 NI samples, residues were found in 109, and of these, 10 samples contained residues over the MRL.

In all but 2 of cases, it was concluded that effects on health were either unlikely or not expected. In 2 sample combinations of acetamiprid in grapes and chlorpyrifos and potatoes, it was concluded that the consumer exposure levels observed were undesirable, but it was not possible to conclude if they may cause any adverse health effects. All other residues found did not cause any concern for health.

Chlorpyrifos although not authorised in the UK can on occasions be found in some imported food. But at the levels present, a risk of an adverse effect on health due to genotoxicity would be low. Additionally, none of the individual commodity long-term exposure screening assessments indicated any potential for adverse long-term health effects.

You can read the report in full here

NEW CERTEX SYSTEM LAUNCHED AS A REPLACEMENT FOR ALVS

Posted on September 24, 2025January 9, 2026 by Sarah Collison

CERTEX, a system that verifies licence data on declarations for goods movements, replacing the Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS) for Northern Ireland, has been implemented on 15 September 2025.

What to do

Where a licence is required, the implementation of CERTEX will impact the following document types:

COI (Certificates of Organic Conformity)
CHED.PP (Plants and plant products)
CHED.D (Food and feed of non-animal origin)
CHED.P (Food and products of animal origin)
CHED.A (Live animals)
ODS (Ozone Depleting Substances)
FGAS (Fluorinated Gases)

For these licensed goods moving into or out of Northern Ireland, including by import, export or transit, information on declarations such as commodity code, net mass, and supplementary units must match with your licences. This is essential to avoid unnecessary delays to the movement of goods.

Also, the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) reference must now be provided on the declaration in the new format. The reference format must be letters followed by numbers and include the full stop character. For example, ‘CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567’.

Processes for making a declaration or obtaining a licence remain unchanged.

For detailed guidance, please visit GOV.UK.

Moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

If you:

are pre-lodging a declaration that will be ‘arrived’ from 15 September you must use the new CHED format as detailed above.
have already pre-lodged a declaration for arrival from 15 September using the old CHED format, you will need to use the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and amend this prior to the arrival of your goods.

Failure to use the new CHED format from 15 September will result in rejections once the goods arrive and potentially delays in getting the goods released.

Eligible licensed goods can also be moved using the Internal Market Movements process by a business that holds the UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) authorisation. This means that these goods can move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without a full customs declaration and without paying duty.

Moving goods from a country outside both the European Union and Great Britain to Northern Ireland

If you:

are pre-lodging a declaration that will be ‘arrived’ from 15 September you must use the new CHED format as detailed above.
have already pre-lodged a declaration for arrival from 15 September using the old CHED format, you will need to use the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and amend this prior to the arrival of your goods.

Failure to use the correct CHED format will result in rejections once the goods arrive and potentially delays in getting the goods released.

Additional support

For support for goods in movement, contact the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on 0300 200 7852 or email daera.helpline@daera-ni.gov.uk.

For general support with freight movements or if a change is required on your declaration, traders can contact the Trader Support Service. The Trader Support Service (TSS) is a free-to-use service commissioned by HMRC, that supports businesses to move goods into and out of Northern Ireland.

For other queries call the HMRC Customs and International Trade Helpline on 0300 322 9434 (textphone 0300 200 3719).

For support with parcels movements, traders can contact their parcel express operator. Please note this change does not impact express operators moving consumer parcels under the UK Carrier Scheme.

BIDFOOD ADDS A FURTHER EIGHT SUPPLIERS TO ITS SME SCHEME, OPEN DOORS, TAKING ITS TOTAL NUMBER TO 23

Posted on September 24, 2025January 7, 2026 by Sarah Collison

Following the success of its initial group of suppliers to its SME scheme, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading food and drink providers, is delighted to announce the next wave of businesses joining its Open Doors programme.

Since launching the very first initiative of its kind in the industry back in 2023, Bidfood has now onboarded 23 smaller food and beverage companies, helping them to establish themselves within the industry and raising awareness of their products so they can make their mark in food wholesale.

As a result, Bidfood’s Open Doors programme has continued its mission to unlock the potential of emerging suppliers, supporting their development journey while also providing customers with first-hand access to some of the most exciting brands in the market.

The latest additions include:

Icesupp – nourishing frozen supplements for the care and healthcare sector
Wibble – better-for-you desserts
Wildthingz – lower-sugar, organic sweets
Howies Cider – craft cider that’s grown, pressed and bottled entirely in the UK
CBD One – premium CBD ‘shots’ for drinks
Kwerky – powdered plant milk made with oat and pea protein
IBIS Rice – rice with a unique conservation focussed supply chain
Northern Pasta – UK produced pasta from regeneratively farmed ingredients

Commenting on the newly listed suppliers, Andrew Allen said:

“This cohort reflects the progress Bidfood has made since launching this industry first two years ago. Featuring a mix of sector-specific and broad-appeal brands, it highlights the unique role foodservice, and Bidfood in particular, can play in driving supplier innovation.

“Although still in its infancy, to have 23 small food and beverage businesses involved is fantastic. Many suppliers still face some tough market challenges, so to be the voice for underrepresented founder groups with incredible brand stories makes a real difference.”

Tim Adams, Sales and Marketing Director at Bidfood UK, added:

“The Open Doors programme does exactly what it says on the tin – it opens doors and creates pathways for those smaller suppliers who would often not be afforded the opportunity.

“I’m excited to see the latest group incorporated into this industry-leading initiative and look forward to hearing the success stories that will emerge in the coming months.”

To learn more about the Open Doors programme and to sign up for the ODP newsletter, visit: https://www.bidfood.co.uk/about-us/open-doors/

LEADING PROVIDER LAUNCHES ‘SAFETY NET’ TO KEEP CUSTOMERS SAFE & COMPLIANT

Posted on September 24, 2025January 12, 2026 by Sarah Collison

Mentor Training, the UK’s leading provider of material handling equipment and safety management training, have launched Safety Net, a brand-new monthly email bulletin designed to help its customers remain safe & compliant.

On sites using MHE, it’s vital that those responsible for overseeing operations stay informed and equipped to ensure that safety is upheld, as the consequences of bad practice can be incredibly serious. Mentor’s Safety Net service will highlight the real risks involved, plus the relevant guidance and solutions to manage them.

As Mentor’s Commercial Director, Adam Smith, explains, “With so much to think about, keeping up to date with the latest industry news, legislative changes, updated standards and best practice can be a significant challenge for any single individual. To ease the pressure on Health and Safety professionals, our new service compiles recent updates into a single convenient bulletin, delivered straight to their inbox each month.”

Mentor have designed Safety Net to collate the latest information across legal, standards and safety updates, for managers, supervisors and anyone else who needs it. The monthly bulletins will be comprised of key content they need to stay compliant and keep their team safe around workplace transport.

The service is free and only requires users to be subscribed to Mentor’s email updates to receive it. In addition to the news updates, the bulletin includes a range of extra content, providing added value and support for readers.

Adam adds, “Each month our bulletin will also feature the likes of free downloads, videos, and fact sheets, all to raise awareness and provide tools that will be of real use to you, on your site.”

The training provider has long provided a monthly email newsletter, focused on delivering best practice guidance, and has taken the opportunity to innovate, expanding the scope of the service to better support its customers and the wider industry.

Adam explains, “Alongside valuable best practice, our new bulletins will now be packed with even more industry news and updates, making them a fantastic resource for tracking important developments.”

“Safety Net is an evolution of our long-running news service, which adds further benefits for our email subscribers. If you aren’t signed up already, I firmly believe there has never been a better time to do so.”

To make sure you get your monthly Safety Net bulletin, subscribe to Mentor’s email updates, here. For any specific training enquiries, contact Mentor or speak to a member of their expert team on 01246 555222

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

Free BFFF Member List

Free listing in the annual Member Directory

Access to latest industry news and information

Weekly newsletter, press and media opportunities

Press and media opportunities

Marketing, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities

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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what our members say...

Helen Atkinson

Wakefield Council

“What an amazing piece of work and indicative of how BFFF respond to the concerns of their members and make an impact on the whole industry sector.”

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Sysco

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Darta

“The BFFF awards night is becoming an “appointment not to miss” on our calendar and we again enjoyed it immensely together with lots of well-known people from our industry. The…

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Kantar Worldpanel

“The Business Conference was an excellent day that was very well organised and allowed so many likeminded individuals in the room to learn so much more around the Frozen industry….

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Gail Hodson - Technical Director

Lakeside Food Group Ltd

“This Not For EU labelling situation alarmed us and quickly became a major worry to our business. These are times when you really rely on some support and from previous…

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Meadow Vale Foods Limited

“We had a few questions with respect to the new EPR waste packaging legislative changes. I know some of my colleagues have been assisted by BFFF in the past so…

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Newberry International Produce Ltd

“I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding event you organised. I have only worked in this sector for the past nineteen months coming from twenty-five years…

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Place UK Ltd

“The BFFF 2024 Conference was compelling and thought provoking, with a many relevant and interesting topics covered at great pace and some depth by excellent speakers – will certainly attend…

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Roswel Spedition GMBH

“Thank you and the team for rushing around so brilliantly before, during and after the conference. It was pleasure to be part of the conference.”

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Seara

“The event was great, in my opinion. Not only it was very well organised, but the venue and the catering were excellent too. Furthermore, the content of the presentations was…

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