The BFFF team were delighted to meet with members and non-members at the annual Technical Conference last week held at The British Motor Museum in Warwickshire. And based on the feedback we’ve received to date; it was undoubtedly a worthwhile day for all.

It was great to be able to hear from such an excellent line up of speakers and network with such a diverse range of industry representatives. Running alongside the BFFF Health and Safety Conference and with a number of exhibition stands, also meant it provided the ideal opportunity for networking.

Taking a slightly different approach to previous years, the two conference rooms merged for the first session – and for good reason too. With a 45-minute interactive workshop on ‘How to work the Room’, Heather White, CEO from Smarter Networking, showed us all how to get the most out of the opportunities the day presented. It was clear to see that many were putting their newfound skills to practice over coffee and lunch and had a renewed confidence in making new connections.

After breaking for refreshments and visiting the exhibition stands, Technical delegates then settled down to hear the latest in the areas of Nutrition and Sustainability.

Lauren Woodley, Senior Nutrition Manager at Nomad Foods was first to take to the stage where she shared detail of their journey to HFSS compliance. It certainly opened up the room to some interesting discussions on its impact on industry and the consumer.

Following on from Lauren, we were treated to a very thought-provoking presentation from Becky Chapman, Sustainability Manager from Greggs on their journey to net zero. This was then nicely complimented with an informative talk from Dr Kaly Chatakondu from AAK about the role of Fats and Oils on Sustainable Food Development.

The morning session was then wrapped up by Cathy Capelin, Head of Healthy and Sustainable Diets from IGD who shared some really useful insight on how to navigate the complexities of behaviour change to shift consumers to a more healthy and sustainable diet.

After an excellent lunch and chance to visit the exhibition stands, we were then brought back to reality with a real eye opener presentation from Simon Millard, Food Director at Fareshare. Did you know that 13.7 million people in the UK experienced food insecurity in September 2022? This is a fifth of all the people in the UK! – If you would like to know more about you can work with FareShare to make a difference, or even make a charitable donation then please let us know and we will happily facilitate.

Following on from FareShare we then welcomed Steve Brewer from the University of Lincoln’s Institute for Agri-Food Technology to the stage to talk to us about how different technologies can play their part in food intelligence and the benefits, and challenges they can bring. Neil Beeken from Grimsby and Immingham Port Health was next up with an enlightening look at the work and challenges our border authorities have faced through Brexit and the opportunities and challenges the new regime brings. We also learnt a bit about the origins of Port Health – did you know it all started with the Black Death in the 14^th century?

The afternoon session was then nicely concluded with a presentation from Alec Kyriakides. Alec is a well-known and respected independent Food Safety Consultant and was well placed to provide invaluable tips on how businesses can develop a balanced and proportionate risk management approach to food security.

After our final networking break we were then privileged to be joined by Anne Gravett, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Receipt and Management at the FSA. Delegates very much welcomed the chance to learn more about the surveillance and monitoring systems the FSA have adopted and the processes they follow when planning for, and responding to emergencies.

So, as you can see, an absolutely jam-packed fantastic day all round! – The BFFF would like to extend their thanks not just to the speakers but to all those involved in making this event the best one yet!