Gavan Wafer, head of crime operations at the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), was among speakers at Brand Protection 2016, the British Retail Consortium’s conference in Birmingham on Wednesday, October 5 into food safety and risk. Read more in the November 2016 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
Gavan had to stand in for the advertised speaker, the unit’s head Andy Morling; the two men each have a crime investigations background. For more on Andy Morling and the other speakers of the day, visit the BRC Events website.
About the food crime unit
The NFCU was created in response to Prof Chis Elliott’s 2014 review into the ‘Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks’. The unit’s hotline for industry and the public to report suspicions is 020 7276 8787; or email [email protected].
Suspicions that the unit would like to hear about include:
– that food or drink contains things which it shouldn’t;
– that methods used in your workplace for producing, processing, storing, labelling or transporting food do not seem quite right; and
– that an item of food or drink says it is of a certain quality or from a specific place or region, but doesn’t appear to be.
In July, the FSA announced the two year review of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), under the oversight of a steering group, made up of three external figures, representing law enforcement, consumers and industry. One of the three is David Kenworthy, chair of UK Anti Doping and former Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police.
FSA chairman Heather Hancock said in July that the FSA was at a critical stage in deciding what structures, people, skills and resources are needed to achieve specific goals for tackling food crime, and giving the public the protection they expect. “I know that all three review members will provide rigour, challenge and independence in the process and we look forward to receiving their conclusions later this year.”
Definition
The FSA has defined food crime as involving ‘dishonesty at any stage in the production or supply of food, drink or animal feed. It is often complex and can be seriously harmful to consumers, businesses and the general public.’
Visit http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/the-national-food-crime-unit.
Another BRC event
The BRC organisers are running another similar event, Food Safety Europe 2017 on February 7 in London – visit the BRC Events website. For enquiries contact [email protected].
