Defra are inviting stakeholders to join them on Thursday 4 December at 11:00 – 11:45am for the second instalment of their new webinar series bringing the latest updates on the food strategy:

Hear from:

• Tessa Jones, Agri-Food Director at Defra
• Natasha Burgon, Director for Health Improvement at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC)
• Tazeem Bhatia, Chief Nutritionist & Deputy Director for Diet and Obesity at DHSC

They will share updates on the NHS 10-Year Plan and its implications for the food sector. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

This webinar is supported by the Institute for Grocery Distribution (IGD) in its role as co-secretariat to the Food Strategy Advisory Board

Register here

If you missed it you can view the first webinar in the series here

Food Drink Europe (FDE), the body representing Europe’s food and drink industry, have published a position paper on ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

More than half of the European adult population and a third of children are overweight or obese, while malnutrition remains a major challenge. Major environmental issues also exist, including the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.

The paper states that in the search for effective solutions, the use of ‘ultra-processed food’ terminology, and associated classifications, will hamper EU efforts to improve public health and environmental outcomes.

The paper can be accessed here and discusses each of the following points:

• ‘More processed’ does not mean ‘less healthy’ or ‘less sustainable’
• Ultra-processed food classifications are flawed
• Ultra-processed food terminology confuses everyone, from experts to consumers
• There are many unintended consequences to targeting ultra-processed foods
• Food safety at the heart of public policy
• There are better solutions to improve health and sustainability

The European Commission recently published a summary report from a Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) General Food Law meeting held on 19^th September.

An exchange of views took place on the implications for Irish Food Business Operators arising from the UK amendments to Bread and Flour Regulations.

The Irish authorities presented to the Committee the implications of the UK amendments to Bread and Flour regulations, which introduce the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal flour and bread with folic acid and increase levels of other nutrients already required under existing fortification rules, with a transition period until December 2026. However, most wholesale millers would implement the changes by October 2025.

To manage this accelerated timeline, Ireland is seeking potential pragmatic and proportionate solutions to address food business operators’ concerns while ensuring transparent food information to consumers. In particular, Ireland proposed allowing food business operators to use temporary flash labelling on the front of pack to indicate the presence of folic acid.

Concerning the other nutrients, Ireland explained that relabelling might not be needed as the increased levels would remain within the tolerance ranges, i.e. within the acceptable differences between the declared on label nutrient values and those found during official controls.

Ireland emphasised that any flexibilities would be limited, applied on a case-by-case basis, and agreed upon between the food business operators and the relevant competent authority.

During the exchange of views, some Member States requested more information regarding the content of the proposed flash labelling. The Commission emphasised that any additional information on the presence of folic acid should be provided and presented in a way that is not perceived as a misleading nutrition claim and underscored the importance of complying with the Commission’s guidance on setting tolerances for nutrient values declared on the label.

The Commission expressed support for a pragmatic and proportionate approach that does not undermine consumer protection and public health and requested Ireland to share details about the wording and presentation of the folic acid related information with the experts of the Committee in the following week.

Members of the Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) and its Private Sector Advisory Panel are joining together to issue guidance for organisations on building resilience in their supply chains against ransomware threats.

The guidance aims to reduce the likelihood of a ransomware incident having a critical effect on an organisation by:

1. Raising awareness of the ransomware threat across an organisation’s supply chain
2. Promoting good cyber hygiene to protect supply chains
3. Ensuring supply chain vulnerabilities are factored into an organisation’s risk assessment and decisions, including on procurement

The Home Office is recommending that organisations review the guidance and consider implementing the recommendations in collaboration with supply chain operators, both existing and future. The aim is to ensure organisations do not leave supply chains vulnerable to ransomware attacks.

Being prepared for any incident is key and will help lessen the impact if one happens. In 2024, the CRI, alongside insurance bodies, published guidance for organisations during ransomware incidents. This guidance is designed to build on this 2024 product, being specifically targeted at organisations and their supply chains.

You can access the guidance here

The European Commission have now published their September 2025 report on EU Agri-Food Fraud suspicions.

The purpose of this report is twofold:

1. Assist Member States’ authorities for the enforcement of the provisions of Article 9 (2) of the Official Control Regulation which requires the organisation of risk-based controls to identify and combat fraudulent and deceptive practices along the agri-food chain (across some control areas listed in its Article 1(2)).
2. Provide valuable but selected information to stakeholders of the agri-food sector to perform adequate vulnerability assessments and identify new emerging risks

The monthly report covers 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 report does 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.

Access the full report here

Food Standards Scotland has launched a new website meaning that finding many of the things you need to run a business, is now quicker and easier than before.

Food Standards Scotland’s new website makes it easier for businesses to comply with food and feed law -with simpler navigation and the latest guidance, tools and training resources.

You can explore the website in further detail here