Food and beverage businesses are often perceived as a poor property risk by insurers. In this article, we look at how risk engineering can improve risk quality and turn perceptions around.

Risk engineering is the process of identifying hazards and minimizing their potential to cause damage or disruption. In a challenging risk landscape, having an experienced risk engineer to provide advice and guidance is invaluable.

How is the risk landscape changing?

A history of large-scale losses in the food and beverage sector has led to the perception among insurers that food and beverage companies carry out dangerous activities and use hazardous materials, such as combustible panels in buildings, particularly in the construction of cold stores. Building regulations often only cover minimum standards and are concerned with saving lives, not buildings.

Logistics hubs and distribution warehouses are getting bigger and using automated storage retrieval systems more frequently. They are often very intensely packed, and companies may be storing larger quantities of dangerous materials, such as high strength alcohol, for longer. Protection systems, such as sprinkler systems, may not have been designed to protect such large premises, leaving companies exposed to risks.

If a fire does break out in one of these very large warehouses, it can be difficult to control and may result in devastating losses that disrupt the supply chain. As many food and beverage companies rely on “just in time” production, this makes them vulnerable to supply chain interruption.

How can risk engineering help you get ahead of emerging challenges?

Getting risk engineers involved as early as possible in new building projects and in reviews of your existing facilities and their protection systems is key to mitigating risk. Risk engineers can help with:

Designing and planning new buildings or protection systems: Risk engineers can work with you and your consultants and contractors to review and approve new build projects and protection systems at the design, commissioning and installation stages. Getting risk engineers involved early can help you demonstrate that good construction and controls are in place and meet international standards.

Challenging perceptions of risk: Involving risk engineers can help you challenge perceptions of risk in the sector, and present your risks to prospective insurers effectively, so that you get the best value.

Creating a risk engineering programme: Having a structured risk engineering strategy, that focuses on managing and improving your risk profile, will give insurers reassurance that you have controls in place and that they are not exposed to avoidable losses. A risk engineer can work in partnership with you to create a strategy.

Carrying out an independent risk review: A risk engineer can provide an independent review of your existing and future site operations and risk controls, and provide advice and guidance on loss prevention, risk control and implementation of recommendations from insurers. They can provide reports on the status of impairments and pick up on changes to factories, machinery and constructions that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Estimation of losses: Loss estimate scenarios calculated by a risk engineer can help make sure you are buying the right level of cover. Loss estimates can also guide change in your business by showing how spending on protection systems could reduce risks and the scale of losses.

Business interruption studies: A business interruption study helps you assess risks and build business continuity plans to minimise the risk of loss. Risk engineers can provide full business interruption studies covering outage periods, service level agreements and potential bottlenecks or dependencies in supply chains.

Conclusion

Food and beverage businesses face various challenges and risks as manufacturing methods change and storage and distribution hubs grow larger. By involving risk engineers as early as possible in site reviews or the design and planning stages of a new building or protection system, you can use their expertise to mitigate risks and challenge insurer perceptions.

We are pleased to announce that Farm Trans will attend the International Food & Drink Event (IFE), from March 17 to 19, 2025, in London, United Kingdom. This event is a global meeting point for innovators in the food industry. We are excited to bring Farm Trans’ newest 4PL logistic solutions to this event!

The fair is organized in Excel London. You can find us in hall 12, stand number 3455. Our team of representatives will be happy to discuss our logistics solutions with you.

 

Your global supply chain partner in Food and Agri

Farm Trans leads the way in safe and smart 4PL food logistics. While our roots are in bulk transport, we have years of experience in the worldwide logistics of fresh and frozen products.

 

4PL Logistics

• Supply Chain Management
• Logistics
  • Value Added Services
  • Custom forwarding services
• Transport
• Warehousing & Cross-docking

 

To and from the United Kingdom

Specializing in LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) and FTL (Full-Truckload) shipments, we ensure efficient daily departures to, from, and within the UK. Our expertise lies in the logistics of fresh and frozen veterinary and non-veterinary food products. We provide complete logistical solutions, taking full responsibility for preparing all necessary Export-EU and Import-UK documentation. This ensures seamless customs clearance in both directions. In particular, for time-sensitive products such as fresh meat and poultry, our advanced ICT solutions and real-time live portals enable fast and reliable deliveries from point A to B.

Visit our website: www.farmtrans.com

At Taberner, we continuously evolve to meet the latest Foodservice trends, offering innovative solutions tailored for culinary professionals. In 2025, we are excited to introduce an updated catalog, featuring new products and an expanded selection designed to address the ever-changing demands of modern kitchens.

More Solutions for Professional Kitchens

Our latest innovations provide chefs with even more versatility ,convenience and fast preparation, with an enhanced lineup of:

• Stocks and broths .All natural ingredients .Dry powder formula.: Elevate your dishes with our new no-added-salt options, ensuring full control over flavor balance.
• Hot and cold sauces. All natural ingredients. Dry formula formula . Enjoy classics like cheddar and barbecue, now joined by bold new flavors such as teriyaki and buffalo.
• Dry and liquid marinades: Experience internationally inspired marinades, from Al Pastor to Harissa, crafted to bring global flavors to your kitchen.
• Breading and coatings: Achieve crispy, long-lasting textures suitable for a variety of cooking techniques.

Our products are Halal and Kosher certificated and Gluten free .

Why Choose Taberner for Your Kitchen?

Our solutions are designed to enhance culinary creativity, offering key advantages:

• Process Optimization and Cost Savings: Improve efficiency, reducing time and energy consumption.
• Flavor Control: Customize taste profiles with low-sodium options.
• Clean Label Dish Creation: Support the growing demand for natural and transparent ingredients.
• Exceptional Versatility: High-quality culinary bases that expand creative possibilities.
• Cost Control and Standardization: Ensure consistent results while optimizing costs.

 

Creating Flavors That Inspire

At Taberner, we combine tradition and innovation to empower culinary professionals in pushing the boundaries of flavor. With deep respect for the natural essence of ingredients and an unwavering commitment to quality, we strive to be your trusted partner in culinary excellence.

Are you ready to elevate your recipes, optimize your workflow, and stay ahead of market trends? Discover the difference with Taberner—where every solution is crafted to inspire.

👉 Explore our 2025 Food Service catalog here

 

Family Business and total supply chain solutions provider Oakland International have been shortlisted in the Cold Chain Sustainability Awards for the Sustainable Business – Refrigerated Transport Operator Of The Year 2025 category.

 

The Cold Chain Sustainability Awards honour businesses, facilities, and individuals driving sustainable progress through innovation, collaboration, and investment into significantly improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, plastic, and other forms of waste.

 

Selected as a finalist in the Refrigerated Transport Operator of the Year Award category acknowledges Oakland International’s commitment to reducing their environmental footprint and climate impact of their fleet of temperature-controlled vehicles.

 

Oakland International Co-Founder Dean Attwell stated: “We are thrilled to be finalists in the Cold Chain Sustainability Awards, recognising our efforts towards making our fleet and sites fully sustainable, including our staff vehicles.

 

“Through investment and innovation, we are currently the only transport operator in the UK to have a 100 per cent electric fleet, and the only refrigerated transport operator holding ‘B Corp’ status reflecting our focus and commitment to the environment and to sustainability.”

 

A Certified B Corporation business and experts in saving food and non-food products from going to waste via their distress load management service, Oakland International is aiming to be the first business within their sector to reach net zero.

 

As a specialist and leader in direct-to-consumer services, case consolidation, contract packing, storage and distribution, food tempering, and brand development support for all types of food, Oakland International service markets across the UK and Ireland.

In February 2025, EU Poultry s.r.o. (parent company of Qualis Trade Ltd) successfully completed the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety audit and increased the certificate level to AA, the highest level within this type of audit!

The processing company passed the BRCGS (British Retail Consortium Global Standard) audit at the beginning of the year. BRC is one of the most prestigious world standards for food safety. It sets strict requirements for quality control, hygiene and risk management. EU Poultry s.r.o. already defended its BRC certificate in 2024 with a better result than in 2023. However, the company set itself the ambitious goal of achieving an even higher score that year. It successfully completed the BRCGS audit and increased the certificate level to excellent AA.

Obtaining this certificate at the AA level confirms that the company’s products meet the highest international safety and quality standards. It is the result of the coordinated work of a team of professionals led by Yuliya Dzemiantsei, CEO of the company’s production plant. “This is an important milestone in the development of the company and a clear proof of our focus on uncompromising quality. I believe that this will further strengthen the trust of our customers and at the same time open up new opportunities in the global market,” said Yuliya Dzemiantsei.

For the processing of chicken meat, EU Poultry s.r.o. uses state-of-the-art equipment, primarily from the Netherlands and Germany. The plant undergoes regular internal inspections, and the company cooperates with the accredited company Eurofins Laboratories for testing samples. In addition to the BRC AA level certificate, EU Poultry s.r.o. also holds a Halal certificate and also from the world leader in inspection, testing and certification SGS.