Foot and Mouth Disease: FFB statement

Commenting on the ramifications of the latest food and mouth outbreak in the UK on the country’s export industry, Charlotte Lawson, Director, Business and UK Services from the UK’s market development agency, Food from Britain (FFB) said:

“This latest outbreak is yet another blow to the UK export industry.  It comes at a time when meat and dairy exports were showing strong signs of recovery helping lift our overall overseas sales of food and drink to an all time high of £10.5 billion. 

“The resulting bans to both EU and non-EU markets will see meat and dairy exports, which totalled in region of £1.48 billion in 2006 (*FFB 2006 annual figures), cease overnight.

“Despite this latest outbreak, the UK does have a reputation overseas for producing quality food and drink products and we are working swiftly to ensure that any damage to consumer and trade confidence is limited.  We are liaising with our key retail and foodservice buyers around the world to keep them fully briefed on the situation, and will work with them to ensure that as soon as the bans are lifted, UK meat and dairy products return to their shelves with immediate effect.”

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Food from Britain, the market development consultancy for British food and drink companies, helps build UK and international business for food and drink manufacturers.  FFB, funded by industry and government, works annually with 900 UK food and drink producers.  For further information visit: www.foodfrombritain.com.

07 August 2007