FDF takes on frozen products association
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has taken over the UK Association of Frozen Food Producers (UKAFFP) and turned it into a new FDF group.
The new group will focus on issues such as cold chain efficiency, the positioning and perception of frozen foods and technical and regulatory issues. It will be chaired by Wynne Griffiths, chief executive of Young's Bluecrest.
Alf Carr, the director general of the UKAFFP's rival the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), said the group would help represent the voice of frozen food companies in Europe.
"[The BFFF] does undertake political work in the UK but is not active in Europe on regulations because the FDF already does this extremely well. The UKAFFP was very good at negotiating legislation at European level, and I suspect the new group will continue the good work," said Carr. "I don't think there is any need to overlap with work done by the BFFF."
The FDF group's producer members include McCain Foods, Richmond Foods, Young's Bluecrest and Unilever. Many large frozen food manufacturers, including Unilever, are not members of the BFFF.
Brewery bust-up
Interbrew UK, the UK arm of brewing giant InBev has refuted claims by the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) that it will not transfer workers from the closed Boddingtons brewery in Manchester to other jobs.
The T&G had accused Interbrew of breaking its promise over job transfers after its members received letters stating they would not qualify for a job transfer. It also said the promise of early retirement to 35 workers at the Salmesbury brewery in Preston, to allow transfer of some Manchester workers, has now been retracted.
Interbrew said 60% of the 55 affected employees have found new roles and that it has offered positions to a "significant" number of Boddingtons employees at its UK sites.
Opportunities for supplying food to the public sector is the subject of a conference for suppliers organised by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London on March 7.
The event, including a keynote speech by food minister Lord Whitty and a presentation by Sir Don Curry, chair of the Sustainable Farming and Food Implementation Group, will also feature several workshop sessions.
For more details call Gemma Davies at the Keystone Group on 01453 833668.
Web of concern
Companies are being put off using the internet for supply chain management because of security fears, a new survey has found.
Security fears (57%) and lack of take-up by customers (45%) are seen as the main barriers, despite 78% of respondents recognising the benefits of the web, it is claimed in the third annual Softworld Supply Chain market research survey. The survey was carried out among past attendees of the event of the same name, which this year takes place March 16-17 at the NEC in Birmingham.
Smoothie transition
Smoothie company PJ Smoothies has been bought by PepsiCo UK for an estimated £20m. PepsiCo's drinks portfolio includes Pepsi and Tropicana. PJ, which has an estimated 33% share of the smoothie market, will continue to manufacture at its Newark plant.
