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UK exporters are set to benefit from a multi-million pound boost as Japan has opened its market to imports of UK lamb and beef.

The agreement, signed during Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the UK, is estimated to be worth a total of £127 million over the first five years of access – approximately £75 million for beef and £52 million for lamb.

Japan, a major importer of beef with a growing demand for high quality lamb, has lifted its two-decade long ban on imports of these products with immediate effect.

The deal follows a year of global successes for UK exporters, which included China lifting its ban on UK beef, Taiwan opening its market to pork and India preparing to import UK sheep meat.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

"The opening of the Japanese market is an excellent result for beef and lamb producers across the UK and demonstrates confidence in our high standards of food and drink.

As we enter a new era as a global exporter, unlocking this market marks a major step for future trading relationships and signals our commitment to supporting our food and drink industry to export more British produce."

The lifting of the ban follows a series of visits and negotiations between UK and Japanese officials, which culminated in an inspection of UK beef and lamb production systems in 2018, successfully hosted by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland, DAERA, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the UK Export Certification Partnership.

Japan is renowned for its stringent food safety and import controls regime and opening this market is expected to send positive signals to other countries, particularly in Asia, regarding the safety of UK exports.

Read more at : www.gov.uk

⦁ Food and drink exports increased by 1.8% to £16.4bn from January to September 2018, when compared to the same period in 2017

⦁ Exports of branded goods grew by £35.2m to £4.3bn, up 0.8%

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has published analysis showing that food and drink exports increased by 1.8% to £16.4bn from January to September 2018, when compared to the same period in 2017. Exports of branded goods grew by £35.2m to £4.3bn, up 0.8%.

The food and drink trade deficit narrowed by 1.3% and it now stands at -£18.0bn, which is £243.0m lower than the same period in 2017. Export growth to EU markets (+4.1%) was positive, while exports to non-EU markets declined (-1.8%), with the EU exports share growing to 62.1%.

All of the top 10 export products reported growth in January to September, apart from beer and salmon. The fall in exports of salmon, down 20.1%, is primarily a result in a fall in sales to France (-19%) and the US (-36.2%). In volume terms, this represents a decline of 16.6 thousand tonnes, which is equivalent to £94.3 million.

Elsa Fairbanks, Director, Food & Drink Exports Association (FDEA), said:

“The FDEA has received positive feedback from members in our recent 2018 Export Survey -  exporters of all sizes from around the UK. Most respondents report continued export growth both in EU and non-EU markets although in the main this comes from more “established” markets.  As the reality of the changing trading environment emerges, there is concern that sales may start to fall in the EU after Brexit and many exporters are exploring opportunities in new areas further afield. In light of this, we fully endorse the need for practical help and support to ensure that companies are prepared for what lies ahead.”

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is at the heart of EU Exit delivery 

To help the British public and businesses understand what the deal will deliver, Her Majesty’s Government has launched the ‘Brexit Deal Explained’ website.   

This website explains the Withdrawal Agreement, which sets out the terms of the UK’s smooth and orderly exit from the European Union, and the Political Declaration, which sets out a framework for the UK’s ambitious future relationship with the European Union that delivers in our national interest.

Here you can find out what the Brexit deal means for our:

Economy ; Jobs ; Security ; Free trade ; Businesses ; Borders

Denmark is leading the way in Europe by bringing in mandatory new labelling on food packaging.  Consumers will be able to see exactly how the products they are buying affects the environment.

Read the full story here

Source: The Local DK

A French parliamentary report, voted on 26 September, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.

Read more....

Source - FoodNavigator

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store food for U.S. consumption to renew their FDA registrations between October 1 and December 31, 2018. 

During the renewal process, UK Exporters must also designate a U.S. Agent for FDA communications. The renewal will not be considered complete until the listed U.S. Agent accepts this designation.

It should be noted that renewing a registration is distinct from updating a registration, and even food facilities that registered with FDA as recently as September 2018 will be required to renew. Facilities should ensure they properly renew during this period so their FDA registrations remain valid for 2019.

What are the Consequences of Not Renewing?

FDA will cancel facility registrations that are not properly renewed during the impending Biennial Registration Renewal period. Failure to renew FDA registrations during the 2016 renewal period contributed to a 28% drop in the number of registered food facilities in early 2017.

Food exported to the U.S. by a facility with a canceled registration may be detained or refused at the U.S. port of entry. Any facility that markets food for consumption in the U.S. without a valid registration may also be subject to civil or criminal penalties.

Find out more how FDEA professional associate partner Registrar Corps can assist with this process - https://www.registrarcorp.com/category/blog/food-beverages/ 

The MP David Rutley, a former Asda and PepsiCo executive, has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Food and Animal Welfare  at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) with responsibilities to include:

• EU exit readiness
• Food chain - with the lead for Food and Drink Industrial Strategy

It is understood that the Minister has been appointed to oversee the protection of food supplies through the Brexit process amid concerns at the impact of a no-deal departure from the European Union.

Rutley's former roles include running home shopping and e-commerce businesses at Asda, He said: “It is an honour to join the Defra ministerial team at such an important time. I am determined to ensure that we fully realise the opportunities of leaving the EU.”

In the first half of 2018, UK exports of all food and drink hit £10.68bn, up 5.1% on the same period in 2017, led by growth to the EU27.

Exports to EU countries (+7.3%) grew at a faster rate than those to non-EU countries (+1.6%).

UK export growth to Japan and the US is being outpaced by both Spain and Ireland, and more support is needed.

From 2015-2017, growth of the UK's food and drink exports to Japan (+10.4%) lagged behind nations including Ireland (+153.3%), Spain (+31.3%), Germany (+28.3%) and Denmark (+13.7%).

In comparison, UK sales to China, where certain sectors benefit from in-market specialist support, have grown by 94.7%, experiencing far greater growth than Spain (+42.5%), Ireland (+40.2%), Denmark (24.5%), and Germany (+12.3%).

Fastest export growth seen in Singapore and Australia

Singapore and Australia were the fastest growing markets for UK food and drink exports, within the top 20 markets, with growth of 22.5% and 19.3% respectively. The top five UK products sold to Singapore were whisky, wine, gin, chocolate and sweet biscuits. For Australia, exports of gin were up 115% and soft drinks were up 99%, while outside of the top 10 products, pasta sales rose 257%.

Significantly, food and drink exports to China, Australia, and Singapore all grew in excess of 40% between H1 2016 and H1 2018 (46.5%, 48.7%, and 42.1% respectively). Of these, China and Australia are on the list of UK Government priority exports markets as set out in Defra's International Action Plan, with campaign activities running between 2016 and 2020.

Strong exports growth continues

These half year figures reveal that exports of all food and drink grew by 5.1% to £10.68bn. As in Q1 2018, total exports to EU markets grew faster than those to non-EU markets, up 7.3% compared to 1.6%. The top five export markets made up over half (52%) of overall food and drink exports, with exports to Ireland alone making up 18.4%.

The fastest growing UK products by value within the top 10 were breakfast cereals, gin and beef. Exports of branded goods over the six months rose by 4.6% to £2.8bn. Over the past 10 years, from H1 2008 to H1 2018, total food and drink exports have grown by 75%, with an average annual growth rate of 5.2%. Over the same period, exports to non-EU countries grew faster (109.3%) than to EU countries (59.3%).

The full exports report, including supporting information about H1 2018 food and drink exports, and exports reports from previous quarters can be found on our Exports pages here. Supporting case studies can be found here.

Ian Wright CBE, Chief Executive, Food and Drink Federation, said:

“This analysis of UK food and drink exports in the first half of this year reveals several great success stories and a number of areas with room for growth. Food and drink sales are flying the flag for the UK around the world. However, some of our competitors are outshining us. It's clear that focusing export support on specific product sectors can transform performance. With great uncertainty still hanging over our future trading relationship with our largest food and drink market – the EU – now is the time for the Government to back UK food & drink exports with the kind of turbo- charged support that FDF has proposed.”

Elsa Fairbanks, Director, Food & Drink Exports Association (FDEA), said:

“We are greatly encouraged by such a positive performance for food and drink exports both in the EU27 and wider global markets. The figures confirm the need for Government to ensure that the success of our exporters is not damaged by a failure to maintain the current ease of trade with our key markets in Europe after the end of March 2019.

“The recent performance is testament to our industry's commitment to maintain and grow business in core EU markets whilst at the same time, investing resources to build longer term opportunities worldwide. We should not underestimate the risks that are being faced. We fully endorse the FDF's proposal for a Sector Deal for the industry and look forward to a positive decision on this.”

Source - Food and Drink Federation - www.fdf.org

Kroger is launching a shop this week on Tmall Global, owned by Alibaba.com, which features international brands.

The deal will allow Kroger to keep pace with rivals including Walmart, which has also announced partnerships to expand in Asia including an investment in India with the e-commerce operator Flipkart.


Read more here

Revised food safety standard

The updated international food safety standard: BS EN ISO 22000:2018 Food safety management systems. Requirements for any organization in the food chain has now been published by BSI in the UK to help producers make sure food is consistently safe to eat. Key revisions include an update to the structure so it’s compatible with that of other international standards. Changes have also been made to the planning cycle, the operating requirements structure and the approach to risk. Find out more at BSI’s webinar on 25 July, sign up for “ISO 22000:2018 - What’s new? And the benefits to your organization” here