In this issue:
- Biocides breakthrough
- Review of VP/MAP guidance
- Getting SUSSLE sussed
- Manufacturing guidelines update
- Listeria best practice
- COVID industry updates
- Sustainability
- Produce group sustainability
- Science at home
- Apprentice shortlisted
- STEM celebrates women
- MicroTrumps record attempt
- Insider insights
- CEd takes a new approach
|
|
Dear Reader,
Welcome to CFA News #54.
With COVID19 still dominating our lives we continue to work with Government, our members and the wider food supply and distribution chain to assure continued supply of chilled prepared food whilst protecting our 75,000 colleagues in the industry.
Our members' rigorous food safety proceedures and zoned production systems stand us in good stead to continue to feed the nation during these exceptional times.
The CFA team have always worked remotely so there has been no change to how we work together. We have therefore kept moving forward on our programmes and projects. And we're proud to report we're making real headway - as you'll read in this newsletter.
Please get in touch if you would like to follow up on any topics.
Best wishes,
Karin Goodburn MBE
CFA Director
|
|
June this year saw a long-awaited breakthough regarding the regulation of maximum residue levels (MRLs) of chlorate in food materials (CFA News 53)
The text of Reg (EU) 2020/749 of 4 June 2020 reflected concerted sustained lobbying by the HSE and industry including the Food & Biocides Industry Group (FBIG). Together the group lobbied the EC and secured:
|
|
- recognition of the contribution of water and hygiene biocides to chlorate traces in foods, and of the need to continue to assure hygiene and safety
- more rational MRLs
- direct reference in the Reg to the definition of ‘processed’ from 852/2004, and
- special rules for processed foods.
|
|
 |
|
The Regulations came into force on 28 June 2020. CFA Director Karin Goodburn comments: “CFA and our colleagues in FBIG are indebted to Russell Wedgbury at the HSE for all his work with us over the last eight years on this key regulation. All parties now clearly accept the need to ensure all legislation is adhered to, including food hygiene. We continue to work with HSE to ensure a rational enforcement approach on the new MRLs. FBIG is publishing best pratice compliance guidance for food businesses at www.chilledfood.org/FBIG.”
|
|
Fresh Review of FSA Vacuum Packing/MAP Guidance
|
|
Four years of lobbying CFA has secured, with Quadram Institute Bioscience, a review by FSA of its 2017 Vacuum and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) Guidance.
This is a milestone in food safety since, for the first time in its 30 year history, the 2017 guidance explicitly, and without a clear risk basis, included fresh meat within its scope.
Also, the Guidance, which focuses on the control of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum is, in some respects, currently unsafe (CFA News 47). The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food and FSA recognise that the Guidance is based on a 1992 risk assessment. Given the FSA’s commitment to being led by science and evidence the need for review is urgent.
FSA is consulting over the next few weeks on proposed amendments to the Guidance, and not only on fresh meat. CFA is co-ordinating responses with other associations.
Work to follow will focus on identifying evidence to support delivery of a comprehensive review of the 2017 FSA Guidance.
|
|
Sustainable Shelf Life Extension (SUSSLE) training of eligible CFA members and retailers has continued apace this year. Another four sessions have resulted in more than 60 colleagues trained, including representatives from ASDA and the Co-op, bringing the total number of active users to more than 80 CFA member colleagues.
Further sessions are planned as users are required to maintain their SUSSLE CPD to retain access.
SUSSLE is evolving over time and being taken up increasingly by members and their own label retail customers. This means that more than 200 products are estimated to now be on the market, which is good news for the entire production chain, retailers and consumers who will enjoy the significant enhanced sustainability benefits of an extended shelf life - including a reduction in energy usage and waste. It is also good news for consumers as the process enhances food quality compared with other heat processes.
|
|
Manufacturing guidelines to be revised
|
|
 |
|
CFA’s Best Practice Guidelines for the Production of Chilled Foods are highly regarded and respected by chilled food industry both in the UK and internationally. They are also the foundation of standard required of members, providing the fundamental principles for the design and operation of safe manufacturing operations. In 2020 work begins to revise the Guidelines (currently in 4th edition) with a proposed publication date of 2022.
|
|
Listeria best practice presentation
|
|
 |
In July CFA’s Karin Goodburn gave a webinar presentation on “Listeria, the law and what good control looks like”, This included reference to CFA’s unique database of some three million listeria UK test results for food and the production environment taken by members over the last 12 years.
Karin Goodburn said: “I’ve often found that neither enforcers nor particularly smaller food producers are clear on the extent of sampling required to monitor hygiene or trend the data, nor have a clear picture of what good results look like. Our database, the largest in the world, offers an invaluable reference source and hopefully this presentation helped clarify the position.”
|
|
CFA has, virtually every day for eight months, provided members with up to the minute information on the science, policy and best practice in risk management of SARS-CoV-2, helping members protect their workforces from COVID-19 while continuing to feed the country. A dedicated CFA members-only WhatsApp group with more than 70 members from technical, health and safety, and operational roles has facilitated information exchange, identified issues needing resolution and enabled best practice and CFA lobbying outputs to be shared instantly. Weekly roundup calls are also held, supported by a weekly package of the most important information.
|
|
The Association has successfully taken up matters with the potential to disrupt the food supply with Government and its agencies, and created a web page of resources. Numerous messages of thanks have been received by Karin Goodburn from the membership. Even non-Members have heard about the service and want to participate. CFA is continuing to provide constant updates and information and is helping shape broader industry guidance, with the aim of ensuring that established science-based best practice is reflected and continues to be applied, with the aim of all enforcers from whatever agency taking the same risk-based approaches.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Greg Hunn, Technical Director at Greencore talks about the support: “As a CFA member, I would say that without the invaluable knowledge and intelligent insight that Karin Goodburn has provided to the members in the daily WhatsApp and the weekly update (virtual) meetings, (which are all built around Karin and CFA’s influence and contacts in the wider food industry, government and scientific guiding bodies), the COVID19 crisis which we continue to face would have been unmanageable. Her dedication and pursuit of knowledge to help us all deliver safe operating standards in the chilled food industry has been incredible!"
|
|
CFA is a founding signatory of waste reduction and sustainability charity WRAP’s Courtauld 2025 and the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap with a commitment to sustainability that dates back some 20 years. CFA’s track record continues to build with some 13 million meals being re-distributed by members over the last three years alone.
CFA has set specific Sustainability Aims for the chilled prepared food sector since 2009, its members making major progress over the years. However, the Association is not complacent and has set the sector new aims, including an ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2050:
|
|
Carbon: To achieve its aim of Net Zero Emissions by 2050 CFA will develop its strategy and begin implementation once a wider food and drink industry carbon accounting method is agreed.
An interim report will be published in 2025
|
|
Energy: To build on progress regarding energy efficiency members will be encouraged to be members of the Climate Change Agreement. UK industries signing up to these voluntary agreements to reduce energy usage and CO2 emissions receive tax breaks on their fuel bills. CFA will report members’ progress at the end of each milestone.
|
|
Waste: CFA recognises international sustainability goals and work to achieve these by following the WRAP Target-Measure-Act approach and using their waste reporting template, which CFA helped develop. Members aim to halve the amount of food waste by 2030 (based on the 2012 level). CFA will continue to support Courtauld 2025, maintain its zero waste to landfill status and continue to redistribute surplus food.
|
|
 |
|
Water: Members will be encouraged to continue to follow best practice and the amount of water used will be measured each year.
|
|
Packaging: CFA is a signatory to WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact Roadmap (which tackles the issue of plastics waste). It will support members optimising all packaging to minimise its environmental impact.
|
|
Sustainable sourcing: Members will build on the success in sourcing sustainable palm oil and apply that learning to other raw materials, such as soy, wherever possible. CFA will also work with suppliers to improve working condition and human rights.
|
|
Produce group sustainability focus
|
|
CFA has been working on sustainability issues for 20 years, mainly through its Sustainable Development Group and directly with WRAP.
The Association's Produce Group, which comprises growers and prepared food producers, is engaged with WRAP and working towards collecting data in line with WRAP's food surplus and waste reporting template for field-related operations.
|
|
 |
|
 |
CFA works with freelance colleagues who are scattered around the country, so the rise of Zoom has opened up new opportunities to meet in the new virtual world. The team, whose combined industry experience spans some 250+ years, comprises:
Top l-r: Karin Goodburn, CFA Director; Gill Harrsion, communications consultant; Dr Ken Johnson, science projects and H&S Group support.
Middle l-r: Dr Gus Atri, sustainability consultant; Charlotte Patrick, CEd delivery; Justin French-Brooks UKPP support.
Botton l-r: David Barney, Produce Group support, Helen Hyde, admin support.
|
|
CEd diversifies with store cupboard science
|
|
During lockdown home schooling became the norm for many households, prompting CEd to create fun ways to explore food science. Using everyday items found in most store cupboards, CEd's Charlotte and her girls Morgan and Tilly developed and tested around 30 ideas. And CEd collaborator Sam Holyman got her daughter Annie involved too. The ideas received a great response and teachers were also inspired to use with their Year 9s and 10s.
|
|
 |
Tilly and Morgan making icecream
From extracting DNA from strawberries to finding iron in cereals; making ice cream and rubber eggs; and from turning milk to plastic, or butter - the ideas are all in one place on the CEd website. Images and videos show how easy they are to do, indoors and outside.
|
|
Ready to make butter.......
|
|
..making plastic from milk....
|
|
preparing invisible cola and then....
|
|
|
|
The lesson ideas can be found on the Chilled Education website - click the button!
|
|
Matty Desforges awards shortlist
|
|
 |
|
CEd is keeping fingers crossed for Matty Desforges, a technical degree apprentice with Samworth Brothers. He’s been shortlisted for the FDF Apprentice of the Year Award 2020. Described as “fast becoming the industry benchmark of excellence for innovation, competitiveness and talent” the awards attract entries from across the food and drink supply chain.
|
|
Matty will be waiting a while to hear how he’s fared, as the winners won’t be announced until February 2021. Meanwhile he’s enjoying being in the running, saying: ”I am over the moon that I have been shortlisted – hard work is paying off!”
CEd spoke to Matty earlier this year and he shares his enthusiasm for his apprenticeship the CEd website.
|
|
In June CFA’s Karin Goodburn encouraged everyone to be part of a campaign to raise the profile of the one million women working in science, technology, engineering and maths. The #1ofthemillion initiative also aims to correct the gender imbalance across the STEM disciplines which sees women in just 22% of all STEM roles.
|
|
 |
|
MicroTrumps help a world record attempt
|
|
 |
An avid collector of top trump card games recently contacted CEd with an unusual request. Jamie is attempting a Guinness World Record and was keen to get a set of the rare first edition MicroTrumps cards. CEd was happy to oblige and joined companies ranging from Weetabix to the Natural History Museum to help Jamie achieve his ambition.
|
|
New insights from industry and academia
|
|
Two of the many routes into a career in the chilled food industry are discussed on the CEd website with leading lights from Cardiff Metropolitan and Sheffield Hallam Universities.
|
|
Dr Caroline Millman talks about degree apprenticeships at Sheffield Hallam, describing them as: “A virtuous circle – the apprentice works towards a degree, putting their learning into the practice in industry, whilst industry experience will help in their coursework. And the employer has a flexible, adaptable staff member who can be trained in the company’s approach right from the start of their working relationship.”
|
|
Caroline brings industry experience to her position at the university as does Simon Dawson Senior Lecturer, Food Science & Technology and Programme Director, MSc Food Science and Technology at Cardiff Metropolitan University. A big part of his work is student recruitment: “I’ve been successful in getting more students into the university. Three years ago we had 42 students and now we’re looking at 301 applications for our Food Science and Technology course.”This can only be good news for the chilled food industry.
|
|
Exciting new ways of working!
|
|
 |
|
Since 2015 CEd has been an important participant in the Association for Science Education’s Annual Conference. With next year’s event (6 – 9 January) going online CEd is now considering new ways to deliver its much-acclaimed Sweet Sustainable Science workshops and teacher material. It’s hoped that the CEd team, with its award-winning science teacher collaborator Sam Holyman, will be able to reproduce the same energetic, informative and inspirational sessions on screen. Keep an eye on chillededucation.org for further details.
|
|
Meanwhile CFA members will be quizzed by final year students from the University of Nottingham in virtual sessions on diverse subjects ranging from subjects of Covid19 and leadership to careers and workplace culture. It’s hoped that the insights will be available to enjoy on the CEd website.
|
|
For further information or to be removed from this mailing list contact
Chilled Food Association, PO Box 10800, Market Harborough LE16 0HU 01858 565166
E: cfa@chilledfood.org W: visit our website
unsubscribe
|
|
|
