SPS agreement negotiations: update

12 May, 2026

CFA continues to engage closely with Government on preparations for a potential SPS Agreement between the UK and the EU with the aim of easing post-Brexit trade restrictions. Karin Goodburn established and chairs the SPS Certification Working Group (www.chilledfood.org/brexit), which comprises some 30 trade and professional organisations and meets weekly with senior officials across relevant departments and agencies. A summary of legislative divergences requiring attention in the streamlining of trade has been shared with Government officials and with the Lords EU Affairs and Commons EFRA Committees. Concerns focus on the lack of clarity of precisely what legislation will be within […]

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Sewage sludge: strengthening the rules

12 May, 2026

CFA has submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on sewage sludge regulations, ahead of the March 2026 deadline. Dr Rachel Hackett led CFA’s engagement on the consultation, which proposed three options: consolidating regulations under Environmental Permitting Regulations; retaining the current structure but reviewing its content; or continuing with guidance and good practice only. CFA’s position is clear. The industry has followed the ADAS Safe Sludge Matrix – developed in the late 1990s with CFA and retailers – for over 25 years, preventing human sewage sludge from being applied to RTE crops. The Matrix has been included in every edition […]

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CFA-led Listeria guidance supported by FSA and FSS tops 1,500 downloads

12 May, 2026

CFA’s guidance Assuring Safety of Ready-to-Eat Food (RTE) in Relation to Listeria monocytogenes and Regulation 2073/2005 has been downloaded more than 1,500 times since its launch in January 2026 – reflecting the demand across industry, enforcement and the wider food sector for authoritative, practical guidance ahead of the change to the law on 1 July 2026 in the EU and other jurisdictions applying EU law, e.g. Northern Ireland. This guidance is a major update of the 2010 CFA/BRC/FSA shelf life guidance and was developed by the CFA-led Industry Listeria Group in direct response to questions arising from the amendment to […]

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