Category Archives: Food Safety

2018 events calendar now live!

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We know summer may have only just started, despite the best efforts of the British weather to suggest otherwise.

And it’s still a massive 152 days until Christmas (sorry).

But that’s not going to stop us from launching our events calendar for 2018!

We’re already excited about the line up we’ve put together, with a whole host of events throughout the year covering first aid, fire safety, education and training and food safety.

And we’ve brought together some of the very best subject matter experts in their fields, who will be bringing you all the latest updates, guidance, information and training you need for your organisation.

Nearly all our events come with CPD points and offer discounts to Highfield Centres, so there’s plenty of reason to get booking now.

But don’t worry if you’re looking to have your training needs met a little bit sooner – there’s still 21 weeks of the year left (we’re counting) and numerous events between now and the end of the year, so plenty of opportunity to confirm your place.

If you want to take a sneak preview of what we’ve lined up for 2018, then just go to our events section and scroll through the dates.

Or drop us a line at events@highfieldabc.net

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New qualification to help businesses better understand allergen rules

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A new qualification that will help foodservice staff better understand allergen rules and employers comply with legislation has been launched.

The Highfield Level 2 Award in Food Allergen and Control in Catering (RQF) is aimed at anyone involved in food preparation and service within the catering, hospitality and licensing sectors, and will give employees knowledge relating to the control of ingredients and allergies at all stages of food purchase and production.

The qualification, from Highfield Qualifications – the largest provider of regulated food-safety qualifications in the UK – will also provide employees with an understanding of the process for ensuring that accurate ingredient information is available for customers at point of sale and service, while giving businesses confidence that they and their staff comply with the law.

Legislation introduced in 2014 means that businesses need to provide allergy information on any food sold unpackaged, whether via a pub, restaurant, café, deli counter, bakery or sandwich shop.

However, figures released by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) at the end of 2016 show that the number of businesses receiving warnings for failure to comply with food standards in the year after the introduction of the legislation had leapt to over 23,000 from just under 15,000 – an increase of 59 percent – with many believing confusion around the new rules to be responsible and suggesting compliance has been an issue for some.

Chris Sprenger, Managing Director at Highfield Qualifications, said, ‘The figures from the FSA show that many businesses are needlessly putting themselves at risk of prosecution and reputational damage, perhaps permanently. Even without the legislation, the issue of allergens would still be important as around 8% of children and 4% of adults have a food allergy of some description.

The Highfield Level 2 Award in Food Allergen and Control in Catering, means that businesses –large or small – will be able to help their customers make informed choices and protect their welfare, while also helping them stay compliant with the law and safeguarding their reputation’.

The qualification can be completed in five hours, and costs just £8 per learner registration.

For more information on the qualification go to https://www.highfieldabc.com/qualifications/compliance/fam/L2FAC

For regular updates, go to https://twitter.com/askhighfield and https://www.facebook.com/askhighfield

UK food industry risks another horse meat scandal

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Professor Chris Elliott, author of the Elliott Review into the 2013 horse meat scandal.

The UK is still at risk of another ‘horse gate’ scandal which may have been responsible for up to 50,000 horses disappearing from across Europe – that will be the warning from one of the country’s top experts at a major food industry conference later this year.

Professor Chris Elliott will tell delegates at the Food Fraud, Culture and Modern Catering Processes conference on 26 September 2017, at Doncaster Racecourse, that work still needs to be done to ensure food fraud is successfully tackled.

The conference is being organised by Highfield Qualifications , the UK’s leading awarding organisation for food safety qualifications. It was at Highfield’s previous conference in 2015 that Professor Elliott made the shocking revelation that up to 50,000 horses had ‘disappeared’ from Europe during the financial meltdown, which started in 2008.

The professor, who was appointed by the government to investigate the horsemeat scandal and food fraud in the UK, will explain that while progress has been made, food security has to remain a priority for authorities and the police or it will happen again.

Professor Elliott said, ‘A great deal of headway has been made since the publication of the Elliott Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks . Plus, we’ve seen the establishment of the Food Standard Agency’s Food Crime Unit, which is beginning to have an impact.

However, food fraud must remain a priority – amongst many competing priorities for enforcement authorities – if we are to maintain that progress and ensure we see no recurrence of previous scandals’.

As well as food fraud, the conference – which is being hosted in partnership with The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT) – will focus on key topics across the food sector, providing delegates with knowledge and skills to improve existing food strategies and procedures within their business. Topics covered during the event will include allergens, food safety culture and the safety of low temperature catering processes.

As well as being chaired by Highfield Chairman Richard Sprenger, author of Hygiene for Management and The Food Safety Handbook , the event will feature presentations from:

Tickets for the conference cost £210 plus VAT, with discounts available for Highfield members.

For more information or to book your place, go to https://centres.highfieldabc.com/Events/Default.aspx

Alternatively, call 0845 226 0350 or email events@highfieldabc.net

For regular updates, go to https://twitter.com/askhighfield and www.facebook.com/askhighfield
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Two additional ‘Introducing Highfield’ sessions for Taunton/Belfast

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We’ve added two additional briefings to our series of ‘ Introducing Highfield ‘ events this spring.

Due to popular demand, we’ll now be holding a briefing on the afternoon of 13 April 2017 in Taunton, and on the afternoon of 25 April 2017 in Belfast. Morning sessions are now fully booked.

From this April, the CIEH will no longer be offering regulated qualifications and will be withdrawing its status as an awarding organisation. As a result, Highfield has been holding briefings for those centres that want to continue delivering regulated qualifications and are exploring ways of doing this.

Each briefing lasts two hours and will provide further information on the benefits of being an approved Highfield centre, our policies and values, as well as guidance on our registration process.

What you can expect on the day:

  • details on how to switch from CIEH to Highfield, plus our support during that process and afterwards
  • overview of the qualifications we offer, and are planning to offer
  • information on our FREE centre registration for CIEH customers
  • guidance on moving qualifications over to the Register of Qualifications Framework (RQF)
  • examples of associated training materials from Highfield International
  • the opportunity to network with training providers

And of course, you’ll get the chance to meet the Highfield team and some of our subject matter experts face-to-face, ask questions and give us your views on what you want to see from a responsive awarding organisation in terms of service, qualifications and products.

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here .

Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling us on 0845 226 0350/01302 363277 or by emailing events@highfieldabc.net . Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For the latest news, updates and events follow Highfield on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram

We hope that you can join us for what is sure to be an extremely informative event.

More ‘Introducing Highfield’ events for CIEH centres

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Highfield Qualifications is holding a final series of ‘Introducing…’ events for CIEH centres looking to make the switch.

From this April, the CIEH will no longer be offering regulated qualifications and will be withdrawing its status as an awarding organisation. As a result, Highfield has been holding briefings for those centres that want to continue delivering regulated qualifications and are exploring ways of doing this.

Each breakfast briefing lasts two hours and will provide further information on the benefits of being an approved Highfield centre, our policies and values, as well as guidance on our registration process.

Dates and locations are:

  • Thursday 6 April 2017 – Cheadle
  • Wednesday 12 April 2017 – Maidstone
  • Thursday 13 April 2017 – Taunton
  • Thursday 25 April 2017 – Belfast

What you can expect on the day:

  • details on how to switch from CIEH to Highfield, plus our support during that process and afterwards
  • overview of the qualifications we offer, and are planning to offer
  • information on our FREE centre registration for CIEH customers
  • guidance on moving qualifications over to the Register of Qualifications Framework (RQF)
  • examples of associated training materials from Highfield International
  • the opportunity to network with training providers

And of course, you’ll get the chance to meet the Highfield team and some of our subject matter experts face-to-face, ask questions and give us your views on what you want to see from a responsive awarding organisation in terms of service, qualifications and products.

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here .

Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling us on 0845 226 0350/01302 363277 or by emailing events@highfieldabc.net . Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For the latest news, updates and events follow Highfield on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram

We hope that you can join us for what is sure to be an extremely informative event.

Highfield chairman to speak at Dubai food safety event

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Highfield Chairman Richard Sprenger will be speaking at an event this March to promote food safety.

The Effective Cleaning for Food Safety seminar, held on 20 March 2017 at The Convention Centre, Roda Al Bustan Hotel, Dubai, has been arranged by Pulseberry in conjunction with MidChem , Ecoleaf and Highfield , and with support from Dubai Municipality Food Control Department.

The event is CPD endorsed, meaning delegates will be awarded 6 CPD points by Highfield. The flyer can be downloaded:

Dubai event March 2017

Anyone interested in attending the event should email Operations@highfieldabc.net

Join us at Food Safety: Guide to Compliance and Best Practice in the Catering Industry

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Next month Highfield will be hosting a specialised food safety event to support the launch of the British Hospitality Association’s revised publication of the Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice: Catering.

This event will focus on key updates contained within the guide, provide knowledge and understanding of current issues and trends within the sector, and also feature presentations from food safety experts including Euan MacAuslan.

Euan MacAuslan

Euan speaking at our National Conference 2014

Euan began his environmental health career in the army in 1978. On his departure he built on his existing knowledge and expertise with a breadth of consultancy work until he joined The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Since 1992, he has been managing the council’s public health training services, and is also a level 4 food safety examiner with qualified teacher learning and skills status. Euan has been a key contributor to Highfield for over 14 years, and has assisted in the development of publications, qualifications and training. He has also spoken about best practice food safety at several industry events throughout his career.

We are pleased to welcome Euan back to speak at our conference, where he will be delivering a presentation focused on the major updates contained within the industry guide. Further information regarding the food safety event is available here .

To book yourself and/or your colleagues on to this event, please visit here . Alternatively, you can secure your place by calling our Sales team on 01302 363277/0845 226 0350 or by emailing the Events team at events@highfieldabc.net .

Highfield Chairman at Dubai hospitality conference

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Highfield Chairman Richard Sprenger was one of the main speakers at this year’s Vision Conference , held as part of The Hotel Show 2015 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The conference, which took place from 17 to 19 September 2015 – and is now in its third year – offers the latest insights, trends and market intelligence across the hospitality sector.  Richard spoke to a packed audience of experts and industry leaders on the importance of improving food safety in hotels, and how it can impact on compliance and reputation.

Richard said, ‘The Vision Conference was a great opportunity to talk to the hospitality sector about the importance of food safety, and how it can impact on everything else you do.  Getting food safety wrong can completely ruin a customer’s experience of your business and risk you falling foul of the authorities.  What’s more, damage to reputation through an entirely preventable incident can be incredibly hard to put right’.

For more on the conference, go to www.thehotelshow.com/Content/Vision-Conference

UK at risk of another ‘horsegate’ scandal warns top expert

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The UK is at risk of another ‘horsegate’ scandal similar to the one in 2013 which may have been responsible for up to 50,000 horses disappearing from across Europe, according to the country’s top food fraud expert.

Professor Chris Elliott Professor Chris Elliott, who was appointed by the government to investigate the horsemeat scandal and food fraud in the UK, warned that unless the issue was taken seriously by authorities and the police, it was likely to happen again.

Speaking at a conference looking into food fraud this September, the professor said that:

  • Food fraud is an organised and global criminal enterprise involving gangs such as the Mafia and the Central American drug cartels
  • Up to 50,000 horses ‘disappeared’ from Europe during the financial meltdown which started around 2008.  People could no longer afford to keep them – and it’s probable a lot of these horses ended up in our food supply system
  • The 2013 horsegate scandal was a close call as there was little direct threat to public health, but next time we may not be so lucky

The professor, who is Director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast , issued the warning at the Fighting Food Fraud conference in Doncaster on 17 September 2015, hosted by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) , one of the UK’s leading exam boards.

Professor Elliott said, ‘2013 was a wake-up call for the UK.  While there was no direct evidence of a threat to public health, there have been food fraud scandals in other countries that have affected thousands – and in some cases hundreds of thousands – of people.   In China in 2008, over 300,000 infants were made ill by adulterated milk, with six sadly dying.  With organised gangs becoming attracted in to food fraud, we must act now to prevent public health threats. The idea that 50,000 horses could just disappear may seem incredible to some, but the scale at which some of these gangs can operate is huge.  Wherever there is money to be made – and the sums involved in food fraud are in the billions – criminals will find a way’.

He added, ‘The establishment of the National Food Crime Unit by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a good first step and having spoken to its head, Andy Morling, I am hopeful that we can begin to tackle the issue and better protect the public.  The only way we can succeed is for everyone, from farmers and producers to retailers and the authorities, to work together to improve the tracking and auditing of our food supply chain’.

The Elliott Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks –Final Report: A National Food Crime Prevention Framework can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/350726/elliot-review-final-report-july2014.pdf

For further information on Highfield, go to www.highfieldabc.com

For regular updates, go to https://twitter.com/HighfieldABC and www.facebook.com/HighfieldABC
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Notes to editors:

  1. Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) is one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations, offering over 200 qualifications covering a wide variety of industries including food safety, customer service, health and safety, licensing, security, stewarding, retail, logistics, catering and hospitality.
  2. The Fighting Food Fraud conference took place at Doncaster Racecourse on 17 September 2015, and featured presentations from Professor Chris Elliott (Director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast), Andy Morling (Head of the National Food Crime Unit, FSA) and John Figgins (Technical Specialist, British Retail Consortium ).

PRESS RELEASE: Professor Elliott to warn businesses at food fraud conference

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Professor Chris Elliott UK food businesses must take up the fight against food fraud or face another scandal – that will be the stark warning from one of the UK’s top experts at a conference this autumn.

Professor Chris Elliott will tell delegates at the Fighting Food Fraud conference on 17 September 2015 , Doncaster, that the fight has only just begun and can only be won with a coordinated effort.

The Professor, who was author of the government’s report into the 2013 food fraud scandal, The Elliott Review , and is Director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast , will address the challenges posed by the review and look at how businesses can best protect themselves whilst maintaining supply chain integrity and food authenticity.

Professor Elliott said, ‘Food fraud has fast become one of the key issues for the food industry. From suppliers such as farms and abattoirs, to manufacturers, packagers and supermarkets, even to caterers, restaurants and licensed premises – every business in the chain is affected by food fraud and the negative effect it has upon consumer confidence. It is up to businesses to understand the types of food fraud and its indicators, its penalties and consequences, and why protecting the wider food industry begins with businesses informing and protecting themselves’.

He will be joined by Andy Morling, the recently appointed head of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food Crime Unit , who will discuss the role of the unit and its impact so far plus John Figgins, BRC Technical Specialist, who will provide an insight into compliance with issue 7 of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety .

The conference is being organised by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC) , one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations for food safety qualifications . Richard Sprenger, HABC Chairman and author of Hygiene for Management and the Food Safety Handbook , said, ‘Food authenticity has come under close scrutiny recently from food retailers, manufacturers and consumers. Food law enforcement must be delivered effectively so that consumers can have confidence in the food they eat. With ongoing work to identify potential food fraud, this has fast become a key topic within the food safety industry’.

The conference takes place at Doncaster Racecourse on 17 September 2015. Tickets cost £170 plus VAT (£130 plus VAT for HABC Centres).

To book your place, phone 0845 2260350 or email info@highfieldabc.net

For regular updates, go to Twitter and Facebook
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Notes to editors:
1. Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (‘HABC’) is one of the UK’s leading Awarding Organisations, offering over 200 qualifications covering a wide variety of industries including food safety, customer service, health and safety, licensing, security, stewarding, retail, logistics, catering and hospitality.