CAFÉ Association Association update
LISTERIA The British Sandwich and Food to Go Association is in discussions with the National Health Service and the Hospital Food Review panel about setting new standards for the supply of high-risk chilled foods in healthcare settings. This follows several deaths of hospital patients last summer from listeria. New guidance, drafted by the Association with manufacturers and microbiologists, has been published and discussions are taking place about how this can be implemented. Much of the attention has been on the handling of chilled foods for patients in hot healthcare settings. However, the management of chilled foods in retail outlets within the sector, which include cafés and convenience outlets, is also likely to be covered.
The recommendations of the Hospital Food Review are expected to be published in the next couple of months. ALERGEN LABELLING There is still no news about the government’s plans to require foodservice outlets, including cafés, to provide ingredient and allergen labelling on packaged products. Although legislation was passed last September, the Food Standards Agency backed away from its own deadline for issuing guidance on the requirements in October after being challenged by our Association and others. As it is still very unclear what the requirements will be, and our advice is for businesses to wait before making decisions on what to do. In the meantime, it is recommended signs are clearly displayed encouraging allergen sufferers to ask if they have intolerances.
OBESITY CAMPAIGN Public Health England has dropped its annual Change for Life advertising campaign, which normally takes place at the start of a New Year amid rumours that the government is reviewing its approach to targeting obesity. Our Association has been challenging the viability of the targets for some time and has suggested to government that the focus needs to be more on encouraging consumers to make better choices than setting targets that produce questionable results.
New appointment at Café Life Association The Café Life Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Food Future Insights’ Gavin Rothwell as director of membership services across the associations which also include the British Sandwich Association and the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Foods Association. Gavin Rothwell, as director of food future insights has taken on the role to boost visibility of the associations whilst supporting members with the various issues affecting the industries. His background in retail and particularly working within the food to go industry will place him in a great position to help bolster the association’s work representing members and driving awareness of industry issues. Gavin worked at IGD as head of food to go and senior retail insights manager for almost 14 years. His work with IGD saw the business grow tracking the latest trends and providing commercial insight within the industry. His new appointment comes under his work as Food Future Insights where he shares retail and food-
to-go insights to inspire better growth strategies. Gavin is bringing his years of industry experience to the role and is planning a series of breakfast briefings in the new year which will provide association members with an opportunity to gain further insight into the industry and recent industry developments.
CAFÉ AWARD The organisers of the ‘Sammies’, the British Sandwich Industry Awards, are looking for the best cafés across the UK as part of their annual award scheme. There are two categories – in-house and high street - and the award aims to recognise those cafés which have developed successful food-to-go operations in the last year. Details can be found at www.awards.sandwich.org.uk. The deadline for entries is 14 February 2020. BREAKFAST BRIEFINGS Members of the Café Life Association are invited to attend a series of Breakfast Briefings being organised by the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association in London. At the first meeting, which was being held as we were going to press, there were presentations by Greencore and IRI research. The meetings are exclusively open to members and are completely free to attend. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 25 March 2020. For details of speakers and how to book, see www.thecafelife.co.uk.
46 CAFÉ LIFE | FEBRUARY 2020
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