Yorkshire to host major food chain conference for industry

Protecting the UK food chain will come under the spotlight at the ‘Assuring The Integrity of the Food Chain’ event with industry speakers from the UK and abroad, and representatives from Defra and the Food Standards Agency.

The issues surrounding the horsemeat scandal will be examined, as well as how robust verification measures can be part of supply chain management to assure product integrity.

The high level debate will be hosted by York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership at The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) at Sand Hutton on Wednesday April 24. Yorkshire has the largest concentration of food and drink businesses in the UK, contributing £2.7bn to the regional economy.

Professor Rob Edwards, chief scientist at Fera, said: “The food sector faces a significant challenge in restoring consumer confidence following the revelations surrounding horsemeat. Science has a significant role to play in helping companies rebuild trust with their customers.

“The aim of this conference is to bring together industry specialists and scientists to look at what can be done now and what may need to be developed for the future.”

Two hundred delegates are expected to attend the event. To book, email [email protected] or call 01423 567111.