European Union

Meat input prices increased 17% since June 2016

Food ingredients cost ‘may rise after Brexit’

By Matt Atherton

Food ingredient prices could continue rising if Britain quits the EU, according to data specialist Informa Agribusiness Intelligence, after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed another round of increases over the past year.

65 were arrested in Spain for planning the illegal sale of horsemeat

Horsemeat scam: 65 arrested with alleged leader of 2013 fraud

By Matt Atherton

Spanish police have arrested 65 people for planning the illegal sale of horsemeat, while Belgian police detained the organisation’s suspected leader, who was also the alleged kingpin behind the 2013 horsemeat scandal.

Griffiths: 'There are dangers in messing with our current [food safety] laws'

Mess with food safety laws at our peril

By Noli Dinkovski

The government risks jeopardising food safety in the UK if it rushes through new legislation in the wake of Brexit, a food law, risk management and compliance specialist has claimed.

Gove: ‘Provenance matters because our future does not lie in a pile it high sell it cheap race to the bottom’

Provenance key to food exports, claims Michael Gove

By Rick Pendrous

The provenance of UK-produced food would underpin the government’s global export strategy as the nation moves towards Brexit, Michael Gove claimed in one of his first outings as the new environment secretary.

Calls to remain inside the Single Market until Brexit are mounting

Business and Labour back Single Market access calls

By Matt Atherton

The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) calls to remain inside the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union until after Brexit have been backed by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and the Labour Party.

Antibiotic sales for use in food-producing animals dropped 10% in 12 months, says DEFRA

EU plans action on antibiotic resistance threat

By Noli Dinkovski

The EU is to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and animals with a three-pillared action-plan focusing on best practice, research and innovation, and promoting better farming standards globally.

A lack of season workers could push up prices and lead to failed harvests, warned the NFU

Seasonal workers at critically low level, warns NFU

By Gwen Ridler

Harvests could fail and food prices would increase if the industry loses access to EU seasonal workers, warned the National Farmers Union (NFU) and trade body British Summer Fruits, after a fall in staff left food producers critically short of people.

The Queen's Speech provided unanswered questions, EEF said (Flickr/Chatham House)

Queen’s Speech: answers needed to avoid ‘economic chaos’

By Matt Atherton

Manufacturers need urgent answers to key questions raised by the Queen’s Speech, in order to avoid “economic chaos”, says EEF, while the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) highlighted the importance of four key policy decisions.

Bans on commonly used pesticides and herbicides threaten to jeopardise the UK’s supply of cost-effective food

Pesticide regulation talks threaten UK food supply chain

By Gwen Ridler

Poor EU decision making about the future of crop protection products could jeopardise the UK’s supply of cost-effectively produced food and cost farmers more than £1bn, warned the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Scottish food and drink exports increased 11% in the first three months of 2017

Scottish food and drink exports top £1.25bn

By Matt Atherton

Scottish food and drink exports climbed £124M to £1.25bn in the first quarter of 2017, with EU sales accounting for 70% of total exports, prompting the Scottish government to underline the importance of the EU’s 510M consumers.

Gove's appointment as DEFRA boss is a 'great win' for the sector (Flickr/Policy Exchange)

Gove appointment a ‘great win’ for food and drink

By Matt Atherton

Michael Gove’s appointment as environment secretary is “a great win for the agri-supply chain”, says the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) chairman Paul Wilkinson.

The FTA called for the government to rethink pulling out of the EU Customs Union

Review plan to quit EU Customs Union, urges FTA

By Gwen Ridler

The government should review its decision to leave the EU Customs Union, urged the Freight Transport Association (FTA), after the confusion caused by last week’s general election.

Calls for a soft Brexit have grown since the general election

Soft Brexit calls grow as business confidence falls

By Matt Atherton

Calls for a soft Brexit – maintaining closer ties to the EU’s market of 510M customers – continue to rise after the general election, as the Institute of Directors (IoD) reveals a “dramatic drop” in business confidence since the hung parliament.

Scientific views on the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides is divided

Science must underpin regulation after Brexit

By Rick Pendrous

Science, rather than emotion, should underpin any future revisions to the UK’s regulatory regime governing crop production after Brexit, the head of crop protection at Rothamsted Research has warned.

Food and drink exports reached record high levels in the first quarter of 2017

Food and drink exports hit record levels

By Matt Atherton

UK food and drink exports reached record high levels in the first quarter of 2017, driven by overseas sales of whisky, salmon and chocolate, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has revealed.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said a Labour government would guarantee the right of EU nationals to remain in the UK 'on day one'

Election 2017

Labour would let EU nationals stay in the UK

By Matt Atherton

A Labour government would guarantee the rights of all non-UK EU nationals currently living in the UK to stay after Brexit, the party’s shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer pledged yesterday (April 25).

The food industry needs more automation to compensate for the loss of EU workers

Automation needed to avert a labour crisis

By Noli Dinkovski

UK food and drink manufacturers should turn to automation as there will be a labour supply crisis regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations, a leading economist warns.

UK food exports to the EU face costly border checks after Brexit

Brexit

Food exports face border delays after Brexit

By Rick Pendrous

The UK’s food industry faces severe delays and rising costs of exporting and importing foodstuff to and from the EU following Brexit, if the government fails to negotiate a favourable deal to ensure “frictionless” border controls.

UK food manufacturers could be boosted after Brexit, said Rabobank

Brexit ‘may boost’ UK food manufacturers

By Matt Atherton

Brexit could benefit food manufacturers, according to food and agribusiness bank Rabobank, ahead of the UK’s formal exit from the EU, which is triggered today (March 29).

Whisky workers are seeking answers from EU officials over the security of their jobs, after the UK quits the EU

Whisky workers seek Brexit job reassurance

By Gwen Ridler

Whisky workers are seeking “honest answers” from EU officials in Brussels today (March 22) over the security of their jobs once the UK quits the EU.

SMEs are “the backbone to our sector”, said the FDF’s Nicki Hunt

FDF to launch new SME membership offer

By Michael Stones

The Food and Drink Federation is to launch a new small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) membership scheme at a trade event this week.

Kirwan wants similar tariff-free sales of beef and lamb with the EU kept

Beef sector seeks tariff-free EU trade

By Rick Pendrous

ABP Beef (UK)’s md Tom Kirwan has called for tariff-free access to the EU’s market of 510M consumers after Brexit at quota levels for beef and lamb that currently exist.

Food exports: ‘We are not the first cab on the rack’ in Asia and Middle Eastern markets,’ said John Giles

Business Leaders’ Forum

Asia offers strong food and drink export opportunities

By Rick Pendrous

The prospects for driving up UK exports of food and drink to countries around the world are good, provided there is sufficient ambition among UK manufacturers themselves and the government recognises the need to support them in achieving their potential.

A sugar-reduced yogurt made from Beneo’s chicory root fibre was on show at HiE

EU health claims process comes under fire

By Noli Dinkovski

A lack of transparency behind the EU health claims approval process is stifling innovation and proving costly to businesses, the director of a global ingredients firm has claimed.

Manufacturers must be prepared to exploit global opportunities (Flickr/Kevin Gill)

Oxford Farming Conference

Food firms must adapt to new markets pre-Brexit

By Matt Atherton

Food manufacturers must adapt to new markets ahead of Brexit, and add value wherever they can, said the Oxford Farming Conference’s chairman.

The UK is to quit the Single Market of 500M consumers

The UK is to quit Single Market: PM’s Brexit speech

By Michael Stones

The UK is to quit the EU Single Market of 500M consumers – the biggest market for British food and drink exports – Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed in a keynote speech yesterday (January 17).

‘The biggest question facing UK food and drink is what direction of travel the government will disclose for Brexit’ : Rick Pendrous

Food and drink sector squares up to Brexit challenges

By Rick Pendrous

As 2017 opens, without doubt, we are entering unknown territory. The biggest question facing UK food and drink is what direction of travel the government will disclose for Brexit in advance of Article 50 being triggered, probably in March.

DEFRA minister George Eustice promised Brexit would mean less red tape

Exclusive video interview

Food industry red tape to end after Brexit: DEFRA

By Michael Stones

Brexit will bring an end to food industry red tape, promises George Eustice, minister of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Health claims: the guide is a resource for firms hoping to gain approval

Nutrition body unveils EU health claim guide

By Noli Dinkovski

A best-practice guide to preparing EU health claims, aimed primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises, has been developed by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) in conjunction with the EU-funded Bacchus project.

Barrier-free access to the EU Single Market is vital: CBI

Barrier-free EU Single Market access is vital: CBI

By Gwen Ridler

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has repeated calls for barrier-free access to the EU’s Single Market after Brexit, following food industry calls for continued access to its 500M customers.

Kit Kat's four-finger shape is no longer covered by EU trademark

Nestlé loses Kit Kat trademark case

By Gwen Ridler

Nestlé’s four-finger Kit Kat chocolate bars are no longer covered by EU trademark protection, after a European court ruled the bars were not distinct enough.

Walkers Shortbread md James Walker said food manufacturers should prepare to lose free access to the EU's Single Market (Flickr/karendotcom127)

Single Market access ‘unlikely’ due to migration talks

By Matt Atherton

Food and drink manufacturers should prepare to lose free access to the EU’s 500M consumers, because of the government’s insistence on controlling immigration, Walkers Shortbread md James Walker has claimed.

Food prices will rise without access to non-UK EU workers, claimed 32 food and drink organisations (Flickr/Rich Girard)

Food prices to rise without access to EU workers

By Matt Atherton

Food prices will rise without access to non-UK EU workers, warned 32 food and drink organisations, including the Food and Drink Federation and the British Retail Consortium.

NFU boss Minette Batters warned the UK horticultural sector was particularly dependent on continental labour

Veg sector ‘most at risk’ from Brexit labour shortages

By Rick Pendrous

Brexit is the greatest policy challenge facing UK farmers at present, with continued uncertainty about access to the single market and huge concerns about access to workers from EU Member States – particularly within the horticulture sector, the deputy...

75 food producers signed a letter calling for access to the Single Market after Brexit

Food coalition calls for Brexit Single Market access

By Matt Atherton

Some of Britain’s biggest food businesses – including 2 Sisters, Müller and Wyke Farms – have urged the government to ensure continued access to the EU’s Single Market and labour after Brexit.

Which? Sue Davies highlighted the need to retain the precautionary approach to food safety

Food safety conference

Food safety: precaution must continue post-Brexit

By Noli Dinkovski

It is “absolutely crucial” that the UK continues to adopt a precautionary approach to food safety post-Brexit, the head of a consumer watchdog has claimed.

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