Food safety

Ensuring food is safe is paramount. Food and drink products are highly regulated across the UK to ensure their safety and authenticity.

The FDF maintains an open dialogue with UK regulators to ensure that members are alert to potential food safety incidents or authenticity issues, as well as cross-cutting food safety policy, so they can respond swiftly to emerging risks to protect consumers. The FDF also supports the development and sharing of best practice, aimed at ensuring regulatory compliance and high UK food standards.
_{For FDF members: Food Safety Committee (FSC)}

The following are regulated aspects of food safety that are of high importance to our industry:

• The management of microorganisms and pathogens that can contaminate food is vital in the provision of safe food. Cleaning, cooking and chilling are key aspects of food safety management that help prevent foodborne illnesses. This is underpinned by the application of microbiological criteria, HACCP principles and a well-established food safety culture.
  _{For FDF members: Food Microbiology Committee (MIC)}
• Various contaminants may impact the safety of raw materials through the supply chain, depending on their levels and inherent toxicity. These contaminants can be from the environment, occur naturally and in some cases form during processing.
  _{For FDF members: Residues & Contaminants Committee (RAC)}
• Packaging plays a key role in keeping food and drink safe for consumers. Its materials and substances that come into contact with the food are subject to strict food safety regulation, whether this be plastics, paper, cardboard, printing inks or adhesives.
  _{For FDF members: Food Contact Materials Committee (FCM)}
• Food additives are often needed to perform specific technological functions in order to maintain or improve certain product attributes (e.g. texture, taste and shelf-life). Alongside flavourings, these technical ingredients can only be used if authorised by the UK's Food Standards Agency and following thorough safety assessments.
  _{For FDF members: Food Ingredients Committee (FIG)}
• Some people are hypersensitive to certain foods and can suffer adverse reactions, which for some can be life threatening. Food hypersensitivities include allergies, food intolerances, and coeliac disease. To inform and protect allergic consumers, allergen labelling is mandatory and manufacturers take care to manage unintended allergen presence and to control cross-contact.
  _{For FDF members: Allergens Steering Group (ASG)}

Many of the processes that food underges are to make sure they are safe to consume. Examples of food processing include pasteurisation of milk to remove harmful bacteria, the addition of preservatives to prevent food spoiling, or removal of toxins found naturally on agricultural products like grains or cereals.

FDF Food Safety and Authenticity Report (members only) - March 2024

As some of the many FDF committees and groups available for members' only access, the FDF runs several regulatory committees (such as food safety, allergens, contaminants, food contact materials, and labelling). These provide our members with not just technical updates but also the opportunity to influence our policy positions and workstreams.

FDF committees and groups