Steering Groups
FDF's strategic steering groups have been created to direct FDF's work around
the three key priority areas. For a full overview of how FDF is structured,
download FDF's Organisational Chart (pdf, 16.5kb).
Food Safety and Scientific Steering Group
The safety of our products remains paramount for industry and continues to be
the top priority for FDF. Manufacturers are continually vigilant to ensure
product
safety – whether from the threat of chemical or microbiological contamination.
FDF ensures that members stay abreast of the advances in science that change our
understanding of food safety issues and we promote the need for appropriate
risk
assessment and risk reduction strategies by regulators. We help our members by
trying to ensure that food safety incidents are handled in a proportionate way,
at national and EU level, and we co-ordinate an effective industry response.
Science also brings opportunities for product and process innovation and FDF
plays a key role in explaining to policy makers, regulators and opinion formers
how
these developments can provide real benefits for consumers.
Also covered by the Food Safety and Science Steering Group is the area of
Nutrition. The science of nutrition and our ability to apply it to drive health
and
well-being strategies is a key indicator of whether the food and drink industry
is
perceived as responsible and able to move with the times.
As the body of legislation bearing down on industry continues to grow, we work
closely with our European counterpart, CIAA, to ensure that the industry's
voice
is heard in the right places and at the right time within the EU.
Our Food Safety and Scientific Steering Group represents, promotes and
safeguards the interests of the UK food industry in relation to scientific
issues and
regulatory developments.
There are seven issue-led committees to facilitate more detailed discussion of
specific issues.
- Food Chain Issues (FCI)
- Food Contact Materials (FCM)
- Food Hygiene (HYG)
- Food Ingredients (FIG)
- Food Law and Labelling (FLL)
- Nutrition (NUT)
- Residues and Contaminants (RAC)
From time to time, FDF will also form ad hoc technical groups, for example the
Allergens Steering Group and the Incident Management Working Group, when input
on
particular issues is required.
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Health and Wellbeing Steering Group
Industry continues to respond to society's concerns about the health of the
nation, particularly in relation to rising obesity levels, and we are
absolutely
committed to playing a positive role in this debate.
The aim of our Health and Wellbeing Steering Group is to work
constructively with Government, regulators and others to help find solutions to
the complex
issues at the heart of the diet and health challenge here in the UK. The Group
aims to drive forward the Food and Health Manifesto commitments unveiled by the
industry in 2004. Much progress has been made in delivering on these
commitments, particularly in areas such as front-of-pack nutrition labelling
and product
reformulation, where the UK is widely acknowledged to be leading the world.
Our members have also been developing workplace wellbeing schemes that go way
beyond the traditional health and safety agenda to focus on the health of their
employees.
Key areas of work already identified by the Steering Group include:
- front of pack labelling
- reformulation
- workplace wellbeing
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Sustainability Steering Group
A widely accepted definition of sustainability is 'achieving a better quality of
life for everyone, now and for future generations to come'. This entails making
economic, environmental and social progress all at the same time.
FDF has long
been a champion of sustainability. Indeed, we developed a sustainability
strategy
for the food and drink manufacturing sector in 2002 – which Defra subsequently
built on and extended to all sectors beyond the farmgate.
The Sustainability Steering Group oversees FDF's
sustainability policy. The
Group's sustainability work includes oversight of FDF progress towards
implementing its Five-Fold Environmental Ambitions:
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Competitiveness Steering Group
Food and drink manufacturing plays a vital role in underpinning the UK economy.
As well as creating wealth for the nation, manufacturers will have a key
strategic role to play in ensuring the nation's future food security against
the
combined effects of climate change, higher global demand and increasing
pressure on
finite resources.
The role of the Competitiveness Steering Group is to raise the profile of the
food and drink manufacturing sector and its strategic importance to the UK
economy
now and in the future. The aim of the Steering Group is to work constructively
with Government to ensure it supports a thriving and sustainable food sector in
the UK as a top priority in its own right, by driving clear, coherent and
consistent policies in all areas which contribute to this.
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Last reviewed: 11 Jan 2011