CFA continues to work with food and feed trade associations, hauliers, farmers and veterinary and environmental health professional organisations (via the Sanitary and Phytosanitary – SPS – Working Group) working directly with Government to resolve trade issues and to highlight the continuing financial and human cost of post-Brexit red tape. (CFA News #56) In just one year (to November 2021) the new Export Health Certificates (EHCs) requirements imposed on exports to the EU is estimated to have cost at least £60m in paperwork, with more than 288,000 EHC applications requiring the equivalent of 580,000 certifier hours – 285 certifier years. […]

Two new online documents have been published outlining CFA’s position on ethical employment and agricultural sustainability. As part of the Association’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, its members aim to work in their own businesses and with their suppliers to improve working conditions and human rights. Ethical employment CFA members take pride in being trusted and ethically responsible businesses, and want their customers and consumers to be confident that everyone working in their supply chains does so in safe conditions and are treated fairly. This commitment is driving members to work in their own businesses, and with suppliers, to continuously improve […]

CFA’s analysis of chilled food sales for 2021 reveals the impact of COVID on the UK’s eating habits. Lockdown restrictions, and the general uncertainty, appeared to have increased an appetite for comfort food – leading to a diet of more cake and chilled prepared meals. The total value of the UK chilled prepared food market for 2021 was £14.4 billion (excluding some categories of foods for which data are no longer available) – an increase of 7 per cent on 2020. Sales of chilled ready meals were up by 22 per cent on 2019, with chilled cakes showing strong growth, […]