Thankfully, we leave 2020 behind us but the Food Industry faces fresh challenges and sees new trends emerge as we head into 2021.

Safety Standards will be at the forefront of every business plan to maintain trust by consumers in food manufacturing. This includes ensuring that the people making the food are safe, as they cannot work from home, as well as the food the consumer puts on the plate. It will be essential for all companies to ensure that the manufacturing facilities are a safe, secure environment and that they are prepared for physical inspections when they recommence.

Sustainability is still a priority and although it has taken a back seat to the Pandemic, it is crucial that all businesses remain aware that the climate crisis still needs addressing. The reduction of single use plastic and plastic waste has been paused due to consumer concerns re. virus contamination but it is vital that business gets this back on track. Food waste is certain to return as a concern for all with the global carbon footprint of waste food estimated at 3.3 billion tonnes. The industry needs to devise ways of reducing the waste – it is not just down to food consumers – and to continue the good work that has been achieved thus far.

Out Of Home restaurants have had to adjust to the lockdowns with being forced to convert to takeaway overnight. This has raised concerns re. allergens. The FSA has advised these outlets that they must provide allergen information when taking an order and it should also be displayed clearly on packaging. There are currently no checks in place for this. Pubs and restaurants have also been forced to close and open in a localised response to reduce the spread of covid. This has caused problems with retention of staff, changing from sit in to take away and managing quantities of food required.

Food Fraud – as a result of the surge in demand for food and the economic downturn, the need to provide food as cheaply as possible has left the door open for disingenuous operators to take advantage. This has raised concerns on the honesty of some of the global market. It will be down to the Industry to finds ways of combatting food crime which threatens to derail consumer trust.

Plant-Based diets in recent years has seen an increase, with people choosing partial plant-based diets and this is not showing any signs of slowing down in 2021. It is chosen as a way to support weight loss and achieve health and fitness ambitions. Even the fast food chains have cottoned on to this trend and are taking full advantage.

Artisan Products have seen a rise in recent years and can expect to see a leap in 2021 as consumers seek to fill the absence of being able to eat out, with restaurant style eating at home.  This is a market that has seen steady increase over recent years. Ready-made meals could also see an opportunity here to increase production to meet the consumers changing tastes.

 

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The Chilled Food Association (CFA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland, have recently published useful new CFA Guidance on ‘Getting the Best from Third Party Laboratories’.

The guidance aims to raise awareness of the need to use analytical laboratories with the right expertise, accreditations, using appropriate methods and facilitate development of partnerships between such third-party laboratories and their customers in the food industry, moving away from purely transactional arrangements.

Greater transparency is needed from both Food Business Operators (FBOs) and laboratories to achieve this, with greater understanding of each other’s needs and impacts on business and working to agreed Key Performance/Continuous Improvement Indicators regarding resilience, reliability, relevance and sustainability of analytical services, all of which are covered.

The focus of this first edition is on microbiological analytical services provided by a third party to a FBO and includes:

• Checklist
• Fitness for Purpose – Laboratories and Methods
• Provision of Samples to Laboratories
• Reporting Results
• Complaints Procedure
• Selecting a laboratory through tender
• Special measures for laboratories
• Contracts

At the end of 2020, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published the long-awaited response to the consultation on restricting promotions of food and drink which are high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS foods).

The response, which can be found here, confirms that from April 2022 promotion of HFSS foods in terms of location and promotional activity will be restricted. Location restrictions will apply to store entrances, aisle ends and checkouts as well as their online equivalents. Retailers will also be prohibited from offering promotions such as “buy-one-get-one-free” or “3 for 2” offers on HFSS products.

Whether a food is classed as HFSS will be determined using the Nutrient Profiling Model.

The restrictions will apply to medium and large retailers (with 50 or more employees), including symbol group stores.

Prepacked food and drink in the following categories will be in scope of the restrictions: soft drinks, cakes, chocolate confectionery, sugar confectionery, ice cream, morning goods (for example pastries), puddings, sweet biscuits, breakfast cereals, yoghurts, milk-based drinks with added sugar, juice based drinks with added sugar, pizza, ready meals, meal centres, including breaded and battered products, crisps and savoury snacks, chips and similar potato products.

In the Out-of-Home sector the restrictions will also apply to free refills of sugar-sweetened drinks.

The restrictions will not apply to micro and small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) or stores that are smaller than 185.8 square metres (2,000 square feet) (even if they are part of a medium or large business with 50+ employees). Specialist retailers that sell one type of food product category e.g. sweet shops are also exempt.

Legislation is due to be laid in England by mid-2021.

A consultation on the enforcement of the restrictions has now been launched and can be found here. All responses must be submitted by 22 February 2021.

The BFFF are pleased to confirm that BRC Global Standards (BRCGS) have now published the draft version 3 of the Agents and Brokers Standard for public consultation.

The Agents and Brokers Standard provides a framework for Brokers, Agents, Importers and Exporters to manage product safety, quality and legality in the food and packaging industries.

The BFFF welcomed being part of the working group reviewing this Standard to ensure it incorporated the latest industry best practice and regulatory and customer requirements.

The draft Standard can be downloaded here along with a feedback form which should be returned to enquiries@brcgs.com no later than 28th February 2021.

Following on from the consultation, it is proposed that Issue 3 will be published in October 2021 with certification against Issue 3 commencing from 1st April 2022.  

Note: All certificates issued against audits carried out prior to this date will be against Issue 2 and be valid for the period specified on the certificate.

The presence of Avian Influenza H5N8 in pheasants on Anglesey has been confirmed by The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales. A temporary control zone (TCZ) has been implemented on Anglesey and could be increased if the lab tests confirm the strain is highly pathogenic.

The test results from the laboratory are expected within the next 48 hours and if they show that this is a highly pathogenic type, the TCZ that has been imposed on Anglesey to limit the risk of the disease spreading will be extended by a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone.

This is the first confirmation of the disease in Wales in the winter of 2020/21, yet it follows confirmation of several outbreaks of Avian Influenza in other parts of the UK this winter. In addition, there have been many findings of the virus in wild birds, mainly waterfowl, including in Wales.

The advice from Public Health Wales (PHW) is that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has made clear that Avian Influenza does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

“This case of Avian Influenza in pheasants on Anglesey serves to reinforce the need for all keepers of poultry and other captive birds to practice the very highest levels of biosecurity. This is why in November, the Minister for Rural Affairs declared an all-Wales Avian Influenza Prevention Zone,” said the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop.

“The Prevention Zone, which requires keepers of poultry and other captive birds to apply strict biosecurity measures and to keep their birds indoors, or otherwise separate them from wild birds, remains in place, as does the temporary suspension on gatherings of poultry.

 

“Even when birds are housed, there remains a risk of infection originating in wild birds, particularly waterfowl, entering sheds and buildings indirectly. There must be a strict biosecurity barrier around housed poultry to prevent infection entering through machinery, feed, clothing and equipment.

“Bird keepers should remain vigilant for signs of disease and report any suspicions to their veterinary surgeon.”

 

 

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The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU-UK mean that there are new rules affecting the trade of seafood. The new agreement came into force on 31^st December 2020 and affects customs, labelling, VAT and tariffs.

There are checks between the EU and UK to ensure that imported/exported goods meet the regulatory standard. Seafood specifically needs to be accompanied by EHC (Export Health Certificate), Catch Certificates and Customs Declarations.

Be aware that although the EU/UK have agreed not to apply import/export duties on products of UK or EU origin trade, as they are separate customs territories, there will be customs and vat procedures that will still be necessary – even if tariffs are not.

To be eligible for zero tariffs the seafood must originate in the UK or EU. For further information on the Rules of Origin – please click here. NB: if non-origination ingredients (fish or non-fish) have been used in a final product but only make up 10% of the value of the product then it is still deemed to be UK origin.

The TCA only covers EU27 countries. Therefore, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are considered third countries and continue to trade under World Trade Organisation (TWO) rules under the terms of their agreement with the UK.

We recommend that you refer to the information published by the UK Government –click here and here – to ensure that you are fully compliant with the new rules.

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