Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

SAFEFOOD 360° PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:YOUR PARTNER FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION

Posted on by Sarah Collison

Transitioning to a digital food safety management system can present unique challenges. According to a recent McKinsey & Company study, 70% of digital transformation projects fail due to common pitfalls, many of which are easily avoidable.

At Safefood 360°, we’re committed to ensure your success. We provide dedicated support from our in-house team of food safety experts, guiding you through every step of the implementation process.
From seamless onboarding to continuous support, we’re here to ensure that your project stays on track and aligned with your business goals.
Discover more about how Safefood 360° Professional Services can help your team succeed: here

BFFF MEMBER PORKY WHITES MD WINS A 2024 WOMEN IN MEAT AWARD

Posted on by Sarah Collison

Porky Whites Managing Director Francesca (Fran) Wyatt has won a 2024 Women in Meat Award in Wholesaling. This category recognises women playing an active and important part in a business renowned for providing quality products, competitively priced, with an exceptional level of service.

Responding to the news of being a Women in Meat Winner, Fran said, “I’ve been working in meat all my life so to be recognised as a leader in what I love to do is truly humbling. These [Women in Meat] awards are more than just an annual get together, they’re a reflection of the growing influence, inspiration and impact that women are having in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry. I’m passionate about showing what women can achieve and mentoring the next generation to female entrepreneurs to shatter the glass ceiling.”

Porky Whites also sponsored Women in Meat’s Industry Supplier award celebrating those individuals that give great service and go the extra mile. Porky Whites Head of Culture, Carla Quirk was proud to present the award to the eventual winner Sally Molyneux of KP.

About the Women in Meat Industry Awards
The Women In Meat Industry Awards are designed to recognise the vitally important contributions that women make to the meat sector. This unique awards initiative is driven by reader nominations and votes, with an expert judging panel gathering to select the overall Meat Businesswoman of the Year recipient (presented to one of the other category winners).

WALES WITHDRAWS FROM FOUR-NATION APPROACH TO DRS

Posted on by Sarah Collison

On the 19th November the Welsh Government announced that it will not be part of the four-nation approach to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), proceeding with its own scheme instead.

The written statement from the Welsh Government states that it “in the time available it has not been possible to address the issues to the operation of devolution caused by the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, inherited by the UK Government from the previous administration. This unfortunately means that we are not able to proceed with the joint process or notify the WTO in relation to the scheme at this point”.

After Wales’s withdrawal from a UK-wide deposit return scheme, the UK Government has said it is fully committed to launching a scheme aligned across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. You can read the Defra announcement here

REGULATION (EU) 2024/2895 MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR L. MONO IN READY-TO-EAT FOODS

Posted on by Sarah Collison

Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2895, which amends Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 regarding Listeria monocytogenes has been published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter force on December 11th, 2024, and apply from 1st July 2026.

Recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reports had showed an increase in listeriosis cases in the EU. This regulation therefore now requires that the food safety criterion ‘Listeria monocytogenes not detected in 25 g’ applies to all foods placed on the market throughout their shelf-life where the food producer has not been able to demonstrate that the level of Listeria monocytogenes will not exceed the limit of 100 cfu/g throughout their shelf-life.

The Regulation can be found here

GOVERNMENT CHEMIST QUARTERLY FOOD AND FEED LAW LEGISLATION UPDATE

Posted on by Sarah Collison

The Government Chemist has published the quarterly food and feed law legislation update for 1st April to 30th September 2024.

The quarterly report summarises updates to UK legislation in food in and feed law in the form of handy links and includes UK and EU legislation, and other technical publications, such as FAO, which might be of interest.

The aim is to provide regular updates, to ensure contextual awareness and assist in the interpretation of chemical measurement data.

The quarterly report can be accessed here

EC PUBLISHES LATEST REPORT ON AGRI-FOOD FRAUD SUSPICIONS

Posted on by Sarah Collison

The European Commission has published its October report on agri-food fraud suspicions.
These monthly reports include ‘non-compliances with fraud suspicions’ of cross-border nature identified and shared between members of the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) and retrieved from its three components: the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed network (RASFF), the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).

The monthly reports cover 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.

All the monthly reports are available to download here

HALAL COMPLIANCE COURSE – 13TH FEBRUARY 2025

Posted on by Sarah Collison

BFFF members ‘Halal Certification Organisation Ltd (HCO)’ are pleased to offer an exclusive discounted Halal Compliance Course for fellow BFFF members.

The training will take place virtually on 13th February 2025 and will be carried out by the Centre of Excellence in Halal Compliance and Training (CEHCT).

CEHCT provide approved Halal training, Halal compliance courses, and approved training schools. They also participate in cutting-edge research and educational programs within all consumable industries and communities.

Available at a rate of £200.00 per member, with a minimum of 10 participants required to run the session, it will undoubtedly be a valuable addition to your employee’s professional development.

To register please email services@cehct.co.uk or call +44 7437922896.

FSA ENDORSES NEW TRADING STANDARDS PRACTITIONER APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME

Posted on by Sarah Collison

The FSA has partnered with the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards (CTSI) and a Trailblazer Group representing employers in the profession to recognise a Level 6 Trading Standards Practitioner (TSP) apprenticeship scheme, which results in apprentices being trained and assessed against both the CTSI’s Professional Competency Framework and the FSA’s Competency Framework for delivering Official Food and Feed Controls.

It is expected that up to 100 candidates will start the Level 6 apprenticeship over the next 12 months. This will contribute significantly to the pipeline of officers who can carry out Official Controls to keep food safe and make sure food is what it says it is.