The Food and Drink Wales Industry Board exists to champion food and drink producers in Wales. Our role as a Board has become especially important during the unprecedented challenges brought about by the Covid-19 crisis alongside those we will experience with EU Transition.

With this in mind, our aim as a Board, is to always bring you concise, relevant, and up-to-date information to keep you well informed about all of the latest developments impacting the industry.

As we move closer to January 2021, there is significant need for readiness and understanding surrounding the EU Transition and the impact it will have on the Welsh food and drink industry. This will be a challenge bearing in mind much information regarding the implications of our trading relationship with the EU and the rest of the world are still far from certain.

In this issue, we will continue to focus on the resources and support available following the disruption caused by the coronavirus, but we will also highlight industry-specific information relating to the EU Transition to help business best prepare for the future.

We have also had assurances from Welsh Government that they recognise certain parts of the industry are likely to be hit hard from upcoming changes and that there will be continued support from Welsh Government to help those vulnerable sectors to assist them in the short term.

As a Board, we understand and recognise the extreme difficulties and frustrations left by the coronavirus and now in preparation for the EU Transition. We urge the sector to access the information available online and signposted in this newsletter to prepare their businesses as soon as possible.

If you have concerns regarding your business or sector, or you would like to know more about specific issues relating to coronavirus or the EU Transition please get in touch with me directly Chair.FDWIB@gov.wales

Together, and with support from Welsh Government, we will help you and your business recover from disruption and best prepare for the future.

Andy Richardson, Chair of the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board

Latest on Covid-19 and EU transition for food and drink businesses

• The Board’s Covid-19 Recovery Priorities Plan

• Future planning for Coronavirus in Wales

• Food and Drink Wales: Business Wales – Support to help run your business

• Get SMART. Keep Wales Safe at Work.

• COVID-19: Business Wales support for businesses podcast

• NHS Covid-19 app: Register your business

• HSE Covid-19 updates for your business

• Preparing Wales for EU Transition

• Business Wales Brexit Portal

• EU Transition preparation: Importing, exporting, living, working, travelling in the EU

• EU Transition: Food and drink industry support

• 2025 UK Border Strategy Public Consultation

• Consultation: Front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the UK

• Letters to businesses about new trade arrangements with the EU from 1 January 2021

• Vulnerabilities of Supply Chains Post-Brexit

Top news stories of the week

• Food packaging hub to develop waste reducing tech of the future set for Flintshire

• More than £100 million of new investment in Wales’ rural economy announced

• Reopening of Foodservice Market Gives Boost to Lamb Exports to Switzerland

• North Wales Food and Drink Firms Adapt Business Models to Survive Covid-19

• UK organic food and drink sales boom during lockdown

• Exports ‘key to food and drink recovery’

• Tesco claims ‘major breakthrough’ in use of recycled soft plastics for packaging

• Ministerial Visit for Innovative Food and Drink Producers

• National Geographic: A taste of Pembrokeshire, from local gin to crab rarebit

• Food Matters Live 2020: Updated events schedule

• The street food traders competing to be named the best in Wales

• 2020 Great Taste Awards Winners

• What foods would face price hikes under a no-deal Brexit?

• Brexit food labelling fail would hit exports to EU

Recent key actions from the Board

• The Board met with Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to discuss the development and progress of the Covid-19 Recovery Plan for the food and drink sector.

• The Board also updated the Minister on the work being done around skills and apprenticeships for the industry and by our partners at Food Innovation Wales in supporting the industry in the wake of Covid19.

• We met with Welsh Government to talk about EU Transition readiness and awareness for the sector and the importance of communicating these messages and support through FDWIB comms as well as with the Food and Drink Wales Clusters Programme.

• We are in the process of interviewing new Board Members following our recruitment campaign to include a broader representation on the Board from different sectors and areas of expertise.

• The Board and Welsh Government met to discuss ongoing strategic planning regarding export and domestic trade alongside green recovery in the lead up to EU Transition.

• The Board received a presentation from the coordinator of Welsh Wine Week discussing the success of the campaign as well as future mini campaigns the Board can participate in before and after the Christmas season encouraging people to continue to purchase and consume Welsh wine.

• Last week, we hosted our third webinar, offering food and drink employers the opportunity to discuss skills apprenticeships and the skills consultation which now has a deadline of September 30^th, 2020. See below section for more detail.

• The Food and Drink Wales Skills Committee is reviewing the skills plan and priorities with reference to Covid-19 and Brexit and will present back to the Board in the coming weeks.

• We have continued to share links to information, support and toolkits via Twitter and LinkedIn as well as supporting with social media toolkits.

EU Transition: What you need to know – Food labelling and packaging

As part of a new feature in our newsletter, we are highlighting specific and relevant information for food and drink businesses to best prepare for 1 January 2021.

Following Brexit, businesses must show certain information, list the ingredients and show certain warnings. It should be noted, labelling wine has specific regulations.

Products sold loose or in catering businesses has specific criteria as well including noting the name of the food, if any of the ingredients have been irradiated or have come from genetically modified sources, certain warnings, any food additives that may have been added and allergen information.

There are special rules for some products which you must be made aware of. Some of these products include bottle water, fish, jams and preserves and coffee – to name a few. Meat products have independent rules as well.

There are also symbols that must be included if you package the products yourself. There is also special criteria for using plastics, ceramics or cellophane for packaging, so it’s best you are kept up to date if you package products in any of these materials.

What else do I need to know?

• When labelling food products, there are criteria highlighting information that must be provided (ie. EU emblem, EU health and identification marks, EU organic logo, country of origin, etc)

• Net quantities and measures must be noted, however, if you put the ℮ mark on the label, you can export your product to a European Economic Area (EEA) country without having to meet weight or measurement requirements of that country

• Warning labels on alcohol products must be included

• You must show the country of origin for: most meat products, fish and shellfish, honey, olive oil, wine and fruit and vegetables

• Ingredients list, allergens, nutrition and health claims must be noted

• If you are exporting organic products, you must be certified by one of the organic control bodies in order to sell or label your products as organic. You’ll also have to follow the rules for labelling organic products. Discussions are ongoing between UK Government and EU about EU market access for UK organic products after 31 December.

For more information on food labelling and packaging changes effective January 2021, visit www.gov.uk/food-labelling-and-packaging.

For support and guidance on Brexit for the industry and to speak with an EU Transition business advisor, visit Business Wales’ Brexit portal www.businesswales.gov.wales/brexit/

Food and drink apprenticeship consultation: September 30^th 2020 end date

What is the consultation about? Welsh food and drink apprenticeships are programmes of learning designed around the needs of the employer to help recruit and train staff. Apprenticeship programmes can transform businesses by offering a route to fresh new, sector-skilled talent. Apprenticeships also provide experienced employees the opportunity to gain additional skills while receiving outside training from an approved training provider.

A consultation is underway regarding proposed changes to the major apprenticeship pathway used by businesses. Sector skills council, the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink, is hosting two online consultations – one on Level 2 apprenticeship schemes which recruit new sector talent and Level 3 apprenticeship schemes designed to provide additional skills to already experienced employees. The links will also take you to the details of the proposed changes to each scheme.

Last week, we hosted a webinar for food and drink businesses on the importance of skills apprenticeships for the food and drink industry. Hosted by Board member, Justine Fosh, Chief Executive Officer of Cogent Skills, Louise Codling, CEO of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and Wayne Scoberg of Welsh Government, the webinar discussed apprenticeships in Wales for the food and drink industry, changes taking place to apprenticeships and the consultation.

If you were unable to attend the webinar, you’ll be able to watch the recording which will be uploaded to our website in due course. Watch this space for more information.

Stay connected for updates on Twitter and LinkedIn. Join our Facebook Group to collaborate workforce. Get in touch with us via email at Chair.FDWIB@gov.wales