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What do 30,000 Chinese food businesses know about our food that the Brits don’t?
Added: (Fri Oct 07 2005)
With new EU food legislation due to come into force in January 2006, driven by the EU regulation 852/2004, over 30,000 Chinese food businesses are scrambling to make sure they don’t miss out and are frantically trying to get themselves accredited to the relevant ISO standard - ISO22000.
But what about the UK? Management consultancy Handley-Walker reports a general malaise in the British food industry and wonders just what needs to happen to make businesses of all sizes wake up and smell the coffee. Rob Renold, Managing Director of Handley-Walker Services Ltd says: “The Chinese are rushing to comply with the EU legislation because they understand that in doing so a multitude of export opportunities will become available to them in the EU for those who are successfully accredited. UK food businesses appear to be taking a very casual approach to the impending changes with little activity in the market place promoting the legislation and many businesses claiming never to have heard about it. If they have heard about it they do not appear to understand its implications.”
In real terms the legislation will require all food and drink businesses to demonstrate their food safety management systems in writing – and there will be no exceptions. All businesses must comply with the detail and complexity of the system reflecting the size of the organisation.
Rob goes on to say: “Our overall impression is that many companies simply don’t understand what is required of them – whether we like it or not this legislation comes into force on the 1st January 2006 – and at this moment in time I can only admire the way eastern countries, such as China and Malaysia, are striving to achieve the relevant accreditation. We can only hope that this doesn’t prove to be an embarrassment for UK food businesses early next year.”
ENDS
For further information about Handley-Walker or to arrange an interview contact Ruth Palmer or Emma Hemmings at Indigo Pink PR on 01782 791386 or email ruth@indigopinkpr.co.uk or emma@indigopinkpr.co.uk
Notes to the editor
Handley-Walker has been a leading name in management consulting since 1974. It was referred to some years ago by Management Consultancy News as “the famous Handley-Walker name”. In all the fields in which it operates, Handley-Walker has class-leading performance, with an excellent reputation as practical implementation consultants, trainers and analysts.
www.handleywalker.co.uk.