Food and Drink Manufacture Forum (FDMF)

Recently Simon Brentnall (Head of Health & Safety) at BFFF attended the Food and Drink Manufacture Forum (FDMF), the group meets 3 times per year. In this meeting the HSE discussed their inspection plan which is multi-year and focusing on health reduction within the industry, this includes manual handling, noise, health surveillance and a duty to manage. We had a presentation from an HSE expert on noise, this outlined how research is now linking high level of workplace noise to other health conditions such dementia, heart disease and stress. Statistics show the second highest industry responsible for noise induced hearing loss is the food and drink industry. The HSE reminded everyone of HSG232 – Sound solutions for the food and drink industry, this guidance gives 60 case studies on noise together with solutions.

The Food and Drink Manufacture Forum (FDMF) is a partnership between Trade Associations, Trade Unions and the HSE. This voluntary strategy demonstrates FDMF members’ clear intent to act together, build upon previous achievements (such as the Recipe for Safety initiative) and to improve the health and safety (H&S) performance of the food and drink manufacturing industry. This forward-looking strategy demonstrates commitment from the food and drink manufacturing industry to the wider national H&S system strategy Protecting People and Places.

In order to protect people and places, central to this strategy is sensible and proportionate risk management which supports and enables business productivity and innovation. The strategy has a particular focus on tackling work-related ill-health. Actions on sharing success and supporting small employers are set out in the strategy.

Delivery of the strategy will only be effective through industry leadership (from directors and all other levels within organisations, and by representative organisations) coupled with effective worker engagement.

 

The BFFF Health & Safety Pledge

The BFFF Health & Safety Pledge aligns itself to this strategy and our members can play their part by requesting a certificate which indicates the company are committed to these values.

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has named Shakespeare Martineau as its legal advice partner.

Joining forces to develop a new dedicated legal section on the BFFF member website the national, B-Corporation accredited firm will be providing regular legal updates, information, deep-dives and guides into the issues faced by the food sector.

Experts in the frozen food industry and cold chain, Shakespeare Martineau offers a full legal service, from corporate, commercial and property through to litigation, restructuring and succession planning.

Phil Pepper, partner at Shakespeare Martineau said: “We’ve been working with BFFF or a number of years and our relationship has been developing over this period support its members, therefore we are really proud to develop this more formally and support the BFFF in this way and are keen to hear from members about the issues they are facing, whether that be in the wake of cost-of-doing-business, or readying for growth, we can support businesses of all sizes unlock their potential.

“The food sector is an exciting, innovative industry with a range of complex issues from patents, regulation, and international dependences as well as growing concerns around environmental impact, skills gap and cost-of-living. We’re here to help and encourage members to get in touch with specific issues they’d like addressing and we can tailor our content to support this need.”

With over 200 members, including producers, wholesalers, importers, exporters, brokers, retailers and related businesses, the BFFF is committed to supporting members with the latest commercial and legislative updates impacting the sector.

Rupert Ashby, CEO at BFFF said: “We’re excited to launch our new legal portal alongside Shakespeare Martineau. We look to make it as easy as possible for our members to access important information and services and are thrilled to have the firm on board.”

Magnavale is excited to announce that construction of its highly anticipated cold-store facility at Easton is entering the final stages, with the completion and commissioning phase well underway and exclusive access to the facility now being allowed for some customers. This state-of-the-art development enhances Magnavale’s portfolio of temperature-controlled storage facilities, adding a further 101,000 pallet positions.

The main building and plant rooms are now fully complete, and testing of the advanced new automated storage and retrieval systems concluded in October, setting the stage for the first intake of goods for some key customers. The Magnavale Easton team moved into the newly finished offices in October to be closer to the action as the store comes fully online.

At the same time, external works, including the finishing touches to the delivery yard, and the installation of new car parking facilities, are progressing smoothly, with the new access road to Burton Lane on track to streamline the flow of traffic on and off site.

Designed by leading experts in the industry, the new temperature-controlled facility is built to ensure seamless operations during peak periods, such as the busy Christmas season. With multiple pallet ingress and egress points, the facility is engineered to prevent bottlenecks, while integrated redundancy measures guarantee that there is no single point of failure.

Amanda Cogan, Magnavale’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “As we enter the final stages of this project, we are proud of the progress made and the capability this adds to Magnavale’s customer offering. From the project’s inception we looked to remove cost, complexity, and risk from our strategic partners supply chains. This cutting-edge development will enhance product safety, reduce food waste, and provide our strategic partners with a more efficient, dependable, and sustainable solution for temperature-controlled storage.”

For enquiries about frozen storage at Magnavale Easton, please send an email to enquiries@magnavale.co.uk or visit www.magnavale.co.uk.

If dairy products make their way into your life, you are most likely using a product provided to you by Royal FrieslandCampina (RFC).

Royal FrieslandCampina is a globally recognised company with a rich history spanning over 150 years.

Their diverse portfolio includes milk, baby and infant food, dairy drinks, yoghurts, desserts, cheese, butter, cream, milk powder, and numerous other dairy ingredients.

Following a merger in 2008 that brought together more than 24,000 employees across 38 offices with distribution networks in over 100 countries, RFC faced challenges in maintaining compliance with varied GFSI and retailer technical standards.

Integrating Safefood 360° allowed RFC to streamline these processes through a single, cost-effective software solution, providing complete supply chain oversight and standardised workflows across their global supplier network.

Throughout the integration process, Safefood 360° teams collaborated closely with RFC team members at all levels, from individual business units to the corporate business group, to ensure optimal platform use and continuous improvement, achieving success against key business objectives.

Discover the full story here: https://safefood360.com/resources/friesland-campina-food-safety-success/

XPO, a leading provider of innovative and sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions across Europe, held its first Apprenticeship Awards on October 24, with Jack Jarvis taking the Providers Choice Award.

 

The Providers Choice Award resulted from a nomination by providers and HR Business Partners. They chose the winner and presented it at a ceremony at the Staverton Park Hotel in Daventry.

 

Other recognitions included:

 

• Shining Star—given to James Yarrow, who has embraced the apprenticeship most effectively and taken the next step in his career progression. Line managers nominated the candidate, and the HR Business Partners decided the winner again.
• Early Bird Award – presented to Amy Roberts, who finished her apprenticeship in record time.
• Outstanding Result – given to Loredana Ionita, who has worked hard to achieve extraordinary results in written assignments.

 

The Apprentice Awards capped off a unique series of events that took place from the morning into the early afternoon. These included two guest speakers, a quiz and picture challenge, and messages of appreciation from XPO to the apprentices gathered on the day.

 

Lynn Brown, vice president – human resources – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “We want to congratulate all our 51 apprentices, especially our award winners who have already made outstanding contributions to the business. These individuals have gone above and beyond in their work and commitment to XPO, and each of them has been highly successful in their relevant fields. We look forward to working with them in the time ahead and watching their careers progress.”

 

The apprentices have taken roles across XPO, with six in finance—two of whom are level 7 CIMAs—five in HR, with one extra apprentice waiting to enrol, three Traffic Office apprentices, and three HGV technicians—the latter two filling entry-level apprentice roles. After completing their apprenticeships, a high percentage of incumbents have gone on to be promoted or enrolled on another apprenticeship, taking their development and career opportunities to the next level, thanks to this investment.

 

There are also 30 apprentices working towards Leadership and Management qualifications, with an additional six waiting to enrol. One apprentice is in Safety, Health, and Environment, one is working towards a Chartered Management degree, and one is working towards a Digital and Technology degree. Two apprentices are also working towards a Supply Chain Management degree.

 

The split between male and female apprentices is almost 50/50, with 25 women and 26 men in current XPO apprenticeships.

 

XPO Logistics is a leading innovative supply chain company in Europe, offering end-to-end logistics solutions that combine full-truckload, less-than-truckload, pallet distribution, last-mile delivery, global freight forwarding, and warehousing services. The company tailors its solutions to the specific needs of its customers in a wide range of industrial and consumer sectors.

 

As Acorn Trade Partners (ATP) and Oakland International celebrate their successful year-long collaboration with Grubby, a UK-based producer of plant-based recipe kits, focus has now turned to developing and expanding product and service offer to better serve Grubby’s customer base.

ATP Director Peter Turone stated: “ATP’s collaboration with Oakland International has been a real success delivering a wide variety of the premium fresh produce needed for Grubby’s food boxes, and is the result of teamwork, dedication, and a shared passion and vision to deliver excellence.”

During a recent visit to Valefresco Ltd., a major produce partner to ATP, the day was spent amongst crops where the aroma of fresh basil filled the air and served as a reminder of the importance of sustainable farming. Valefresco is a major supplier of green salads and vegetables such as pak choi, spinach, salad leaves, and herbs including fresh basil grown in water-efficient vertical farms. Grubby’s team was able to see firsthand the desire, commitment and enthusiasm driving British farming, witnessing the complete fresh produce process from farm to table.

Added Peter: “Farming, often passed down through the generations, comes with its own set of unique challenges, from Brexit to COVID-19, to increasingly unpredictable weather, yet despite these hurdles our growers remain resilient, producing exceptional crops that help us deliver quality time and time again for our customers. Here’s to many more years of ATP and Oakland International collaboration delivering incredible fresh produce to Grubby’s customers!”

Grubby’s team expressed how the farm visit had deepened their admiration for the effort behind each recipe box, appreciating the dedication of farmers, ATP, Oakland International, and the entire supply chain.

Martin Holden-White Founder and CEO of Grubby said: “A huge thanks to Oakland International whose relentless effort in refining packing operations has allowed us to deliver well over 100,000 boxes and approximately 500,000 meals. Their consistent ‘can-do’ attitude has allowed us to expand recipe choices and add additional delivery days. It’s great to work with a team that thrives on challenges and continues to raise the bar.

“Additionally, a special thanks to Peter and the ATP team for their role in building strong supplier relationships, adapting to new challenges, and ensuring that top-quality produce arrives in every Grubby box week after week. This commitment to quality and innovation is helping Grubby gear up for the busy seasons ahead, with exciting supplier partnerships in the making.”