The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has officially inaugurated a Specialist Interest Group (SIG) on sustainability. Launch of the SIG, first proposed at the trade association’s Frozen Food Conference last year, was delayed due to the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic that has wreaked havoc in the UK and the entire world.
“One of the consequences of the pandemic is a renewed focus on sustainability within the food industry. The sustainability agenda today is different to five years ago, and it will develop further over the coming five years. It is therefore vital we help members understand the narrative as it evolves,” said Richard Harrow, chief executive of the BFFF.
The United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) form the basis of many of the targets adopted by governments and companies, not just in the UK but globally. One focus of the SIG will be for the BFFF to develop its own policy and guidance to assist members in working towards these goals.
The BFFF is keen to find ways to help smaller members take part in the debate and process, including discussing how they deal with water stress and might cope with the possible introduction of food waste or carbon footprint reporting.
“We recognize that the frozen food industry is a relatively heavy energy user – from the freezing process, storage, transport, and the display of product in retail stores or as an end user. However, this is offset by the efficient use of this energy and the way we produce products. Normally, production in frozen utilizes longer production runs with very efficient use of natural resources, including dealing with the waste and/or by products in a cost-efficient way,” said Harrow.
Any member of the BFFF who wishes to be part of this initiative can send their details to Siobhan O’Callaghan at Siobhanocallaghan@bfff.co.uk. All interested parties will be contacted to plan the first meeting at the end of April or early May.
