Archive for August, 2010

The latest June/July issue of Plant Health News provides a reminder to look out for the Tomato russet mite. The online newsletter is being produced bi-monthly, providing the latest information on the pests and diseases which Fera’s specialists are dealing with in the Plant Clinic and new developments in plant health.

 To download your copy of Plant Clinic News:

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/plantClinicNews/junJul10Issue.pdf

Harmful organisms:

Fera interceptions - harmful organisms

The Pesticide Residues Committee has published further results from its rolling programme of monitoring for samples taken in March and/or April 2010. No health issues were identified with any of the samples, including those above the MRL:

Beans with pods

One sample from Bangladesh contained a residue of fenvalerate above the MRL.

Chilli Peppers

One sample of Scotch bonnet chillies from the Dominican Republic contained a residue of chlorfenapyr above the MRL.

Pears

Two samples of pears grown in the UK contained residues of amitraz (unapproved use).

There were no issues found in samples of grapes, peaches and nectarines taken in March and/or April.

For more information visit:  www.pesticides.gov.uk/prc.asp?id=2870

The British Retail Consortium has reviewed the audit time calculator as well as ways in which audits of head offices are handled where some requirements of the BRC standards are managed centrally.

Position statements have been circulated for comment (see links below) and FPC will be responding on behalf of members.  If you have any feedback please forward to sian@freshproduce.org.uk by Thursday 2 September.

 Audit duration calculator

The review has picked up concerns that the original calculator would result in excessively long audits for large sites or sites with large number of employees. There was also concern that, as the definition of a HACCP study was not clear, sites with a large number of HACCP studies – most of which were variants on a theme – would be subject to excessive audit durations. The amount of time auditors spend within the production environment relative to that spent in the offices has been an on-going concern.

 Audit of Head Offices

The review recommends that non conformities identified at head office audits should be recorded and attributed to the associated manufacturing site audit.  It was agreed that non conformities raised at the head office audit should be included on the next site audit only. This has been included in a more extensive position statement to standardise the way in which such audit processes are handled.

Last month we reported that we had taken up comments made by Defra Minister of State, Caroline Spelman, who said: “The public sector spends around £2 billion on food every year. I want Defra to lead the way in encouraging public procurement to choose food which is local and involves the fewest food miles in its journey from producer to plate. It’s a step which can save money as well as carbon emissions.”

This is the response received from Lord Henley (standing in for the Secretary of State during the Parliamentary recess):

‘The contribution of the Fresh Produce Consortium to the debate on food procurement in the public sector is invaluable and I am grateful for your detailed observations on our current policy as well as your support for the drive to eat more fruit and vegetables. Your work so far on the fruit and vegetables task force has been constructive and helpful. I understand the Secretary of State attended the last task force meeting and was interested to hear the group’s recommendations around wholesale markets. I should point out that the position that we are taking is not one of restricting imports of food – this is about quality not origin. We are determined to see that, whilst operating within its EU and international trade obligations, the public sector does not act in a way that actively favours lower food production standards than our own.

This is reflected in our commitment that central Government and eventually the whole public sector should, subject to no overall increase in costs, procure food that meets British or equivalent standards. This should not impact on importers of non-indigenous foods or food brought in fresh outside the British growing season, and it certainly should not threaten those companies supplying the best quality food which will have been produced to equivalent standards.

Over the coming months Defra officials, working with the Office of Government Commerce and colleagues across Government, will be developing options for a ‘Government Buying Standard’ (GBS) for food. This would be mandatory for central Government and encouraged across the wider public sector and its purpose is to improve both sustainability and nutritional aspects of food in the public sector. I do hope that you will be able to contribute to the consultation stage of the development of these standards.’

FPC is seeking further clarification regarding Defra’s statement regarding ‘best quality foods’ and ‘British or equivalent standards’, in particular in relation to Globalgap standards. We shall also be asking for more details regarding proposals to introduce a ‘Government Buying Standard’ for food. We will keep members advised of developments.

As a member of the Fruit and Vegetables Task Force, FPC welcomes the Government’s commitment to take on board the recommendations of the task force and will be monitoring closely progress as individual Departments consider these recommendations. FPC believes that an affordable variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is a vital element of a healthy diet and remains the keystone for helping people achieve 5 a day.

“We want to see that the fresh produce industry is not hampered by unnecessary regulatory burdens and has every opportunity to increase UK production and encourage greater consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables,” said Nigel Jenney.  “The task force took on board the challenges of increasing production of indigenous crops and has included wide ranging recommendations, whilst recognising that we cannot be totally self-sufficient in all fresh produce.”

“It is vital that both the industry and Government play their part in encouraging people of all ages to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, which is the central objective of the task force. If we fail to do this future generations will suffer the effects of poor diet and obesity and there will be no increased market for UK production. Industry campaigns such as Eat In Colour demonstrate that fresh produce can be fun, easy to prepare and convenient. Fresh fruit and vegetables will always be the vital keystone for a healthy diet and we believe that the Government should continue to focus on fresh produce as the ultimate convenience food,” said Nigel.

FPC welcomed the task force’s recommendation that 5 a day should further promote potatoes as a healthy and vitamin rich carbohydrate.

FPC also identified to the task force the significant potential of the wholesale/food service sector, which accounts for a third of overall sales of fresh produce in the UK. FPC will be working with Nabma to provide guidance on how to maximise opportunities as part of the task force’s recommendations.

Another recommendation of the task force is to evaluate the Food Dudes programme. FPC is one of the original sponsors of Food Dudes and over the years has provided substantial funding and support.

“We are committed to the aims of this initiative and others, such as Eat In Colour and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which provide benefits to young children. We support the work to evaluate the sustainability of the Food Dudes programme,” said Nigel.

 “The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme demonstrates Value for Money principles which are the bedrock for public procurement. This is why we believe it is essential to maintain the central procurement strategy of the Scheme to promote healthy eating habits at an early age. Given that the Government has already made a clear policy decision to maintain the provision of free milk in primary schools, we do not see why a decision cannot be made to secure the future of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme now as a national priority, including the retention of the central procurement strategy.”

The proposals made by the Task Force are:

Competitive supply base

• Make reference to food production in national planning policy and streamline planning requirements;
• Address issues of permanent immigration and seasonal labour availability and horticulture;
• Government recognition and support for the need for available water for horticulture;
• Review of approval process for non chemical means of control;
• Industry strategy to protect a unified well invested R&D facility;
• Abolish Agricultural Wages Board;
• Work with services  like Business Link to provide appropriate advice and support to growers;
• Panel to champion financial needs of sector.

 Efficient supply chain

• Levy boards to play a role in providing independent advice on the market and growing conditions;
• Clearer practical rules on operation of EU Fruit and Vegetables Aid scheme;
• Best practice in ordering timetables to be drawn up;
• Supply chain efficiency incentives;
• Produce a Guide to the Wholesale Sector;
• Extend Business Development Manager programme.

 Increasing consumption

• Explore how to better use Change4Life to promote 5 A Day and potatoes;
• Evaluate Food Dudes programme;
• Promote best practice in whole category marketing campaigns;
• Include frozen fruit and vegetables in Healthy Start and promotions of healthy frozen/canned fruit and vegetables;
• Include ‘healthy’ composite foods in 5 A Day licensing scheme;
• Align VAT with fruit and vegetable consumption objective;
• Support Grow Your Own including proposals to make land available and gardening within schools.

 For a copy of the report visit:  http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/policy/partnership/fvtf/documents/100826-fvtf-report.pdf

EU Rapid Alert - Information

EU Rapid Alert - Border rejection

New outbreaks:

A new outbreak of Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner) in tomato plants located in Cambridgeshire has been notified by Fera (intercepted on 29 July 2010).

Fera interceptions - harmful organisms

Companies which consume more than 6,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electrical energy a year must register their energy use by the end of September under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme or face a penalty fine. Participating organisations will have to monitor their emissions during the first phase of the scheme and later on purchase allowances, initially sold by Government, for each tonne of CO2 they emit.

It is estimated that a significant number of large companies have not signed up yet to the mandatory scheme. The Energy Efficiency Scheme is intended to act as an incentive to improve energy efficiency and to help large private and public sector organisations generate cost savings through reduced energy bills.  According to the Environment Agency which administers the scheme, these savings should exceed the cost of participating.

A guidance document is available and more information can be found from the Department of Energy and Climate Change at: www.decc.gov.uk and the Environment Agency at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/pollution/98263.aspx